It’s Simple Really…

 

It boggles my mind how difficult we truly make things for ourselves sometimes. I saw this picture posted on a friends Facebook page and the moment I read it I was struck by it. Not because I had never thought of it, but because it reminded me in such a simple way of the things I already knew, yet had a tendency to forget. It happens to all of us and it doesn’t make us any worse or better than anyone else. Remember it’s been said ” To err is human”, and so that we may forget something, even something as seemingly simple as the message above, is well within excusable.

Now, to know this and not attempt it…well, that just seems a bit foolhardy if you ask me. I would think that everyone would want to live a full and satisfying life. Yet, we don’t and most times it’s not because we don’t want to, but simply because we feel that it can’t be that easy. There has to be more to it and that my friends is where we fail ourselves. We need to learn to step back and realize that on the contrary, yes it can be that simple and not only is it that simple, but more importantly, we can do it.

Do What Makes You Happy

    It sounds like such a generic statement, doesn’t it? You might even think, what does that even really mean? Well, that’s the beauty of it… it can mean whatever you want it to mean. What makes you happy is just that: what makes YOU happy. No one else can decide that for you and as such you have full control over what that means for you. Maybe you love to draw… set time aside to do that for yourself. Maybe you like to play an instrument or write, or build things…whatever it may be take the time to do it. It may end up surprising you how much more enriched you will feel once you start setting aside time to do those things that make you happy.

Be With Who Makes You Smile

  “You are the company you keep.” My mom would always tell me this as a child and I in my petulance would scoff (once she was out of sight…I was a smart ass, but not crazy) and assume it was just her trying to control my growing need for independence. Well, let me tell you she was right, but I’m sure most of you know because you heard the same. Who you spend your time with does influence how you feel and perceive your world. So if you surround yourself with people that are constantly negative or make you feel like less than yourself, guess what… you’re going to start to reflect those things. Now, who would really want that?

Surround yourself instead with those that make you smile. The message in the picture can be taken to refer to being with someone, as in the sense of an intimate relationship, i,e boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse, but i believe that it should be spread to all the relationships you hold. Be with those people who serve to enrich your life and enhance the positive way of life you wish to lead. If they make you smile, keep them around. 🙂

Laugh As Much As You Breathe

  Now this one seems tough. If i laugh as much as I breathe that’d be all I ever did! The exaggeration though is made to point to the fact that you should laugh as much as possible. I agree with this. Laughter is really so important to our well-being and that of those around us. I mean think about it. Have you ever been so mad about something and then something funny happens and you find yourself laughing so hard that in that moment everything else just seems unimportant. It is that feeling of laughter that we should all seek in our daily lives. Find the humor in life and laugh because life is too short to walk around like a sourpuss.

Laughing is also wonderful when you’re sick. Whenever I or my husband feel sick we take time out and try to watch a funny movie or show. It provides us with some time to remove ourselves from the stress associated with being sick and quite honestly, helps in making our recoveries a lot more pleasant. So next time you feel under the weather try it and let me know if it doesn’t just make you feel the slightest bit better.

Love As Long As You Live

  Love… I will never tire of saying this and I truly believe it: Love is one of the strongest forces in the universe. When you live your life with love in your heart and you share it,  your world is transformed in ways that may seem almost magical to some people. People often think of love and automatically think of romantic love, which is great, believe me I am a die-hard romantic, but love comes in so many forms that to think of it just in that way is so limiting. There is the love we feel for our families, our friends, our fellow man, living things, even objects that we hold dear. There is no end to the love we have to experience, so it is nearly impossible not to be able to accomplish this step.

Some may question how you can love your whole life and think its not possible to do so ALL the time, but I argue it is because there is one love that should never be lacking at any point in your life and that is love of self. Every day of your life you should live it filled with self-love. Do not confuse this with narcissism. I do not speak of an egotistical preoccupation of self that some unfortunately fall into, but of a healthy and genuine love of self in which you truly see yourself for who you are and accept it knowing that you may not be perfect, but also knowing that in your own way you are.

 

 

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