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This past weekend, I spent a lot of time outside.
I walked and sat out in the yard and drank tea and lay in a hammock for hours.
I watched the branches and leaves on trees sway in the wind and felt the warmth of the sun and the cool breeze on my skin.
I watched clouds move softly across the sky and closed my eyes while I listened to the sounds of the world around me.
It was such a relaxing and peaceful weekend. All I wanted to do was…do what I was doing.
I did what felt right, what I wanted to do.
And it felt so lovely.
And I noticed that by just softening into the moment and sinking into it, by just really letting myself be there and do what felt right, I felt so calm, so at ease. I felt so there.
I soaked in the beautiful weather and appreciated those moments and what was around me.
In order for us to feel happy or peaceful, we need to be able to turn inward and connect to ourselves. We have to be able to tune into how we feel and what we want. We have to honor ourselves. We need to find a way to be present, fully present—because the present moment is the only thing we ever truly have.
We all want to be happy. I’m sure we’d all like to be happy all of the time. But we won’t feel that constant state of happiness—at least not in the way we might wish that we could.
We’re going to feel a range of emotions and experience all kinds of situations that will trigger all sorts of different feelings. But when we can be present with ourselves and the moment, when we can allow whatever is to be, when we can learn to hold space for everything within our experience, we can feel a soft sense of peace, of okay-ness, even in more challenging or difficult times. And we can sink fully into and breathe in the light and beautiful moments in our lives.
Here are 10 things that will make you feel happier:
1. Practice coming back to the present moment.
2. Do what feels right to you.
3. Sit with your pain and difficult feelings (be present with yourself).
4. Listen to your intuition.
5. Appreciate the little things (and big things) in your life.
6. Reframe difficult situations—look for the opportunity.
7. Practice observing your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and reactions.
8. Watch your self-talk and speak kindly to yourself.
9. Do things you love.
10. Keep an open mind, be curious, and be willing to see and learn and discover.
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author: Lisa Erickson
Image: Allef Vinicius/Unsplash
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