It’s not the first thing that comes to mind when we think about our lives, but genuine happiness isn’t something that happens randomly. The first step to finding lasting joy in your life is believing that you deserve it and sadly, that’s the biggest obstacle for some.
The Declaration of Independence mentions happiness when talking about our unalienable rights, but it stops short of saying that we have the right to be happy. Instead, it explains that we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Put another way, we don’t have an inherent right to be happy, but we do have the right to chase happiness as hard as we want.
Take a moment today to reflect on your life. Are you happy? If not, did you know you deserve to be happy? You deserve a life of joy, even if it doesn’t feel that way. Start by owning that fundamental truth about you, then figure out the thing or things that will bring lasting joy into your life and turn those ideas into SMART goals. If they are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound, they are easier to accomplish.
Then get to work. But there’s an important step that the go go go world of social media forgets, and it’s crucial: It’s not enough to pursue happiness and joy, we have to know what to do when the joy comes.
When the joy comes, breathe! The hard work is only worth it if we and stop once in a while and really enjoy the fruits of our labor. Now go pursue your happy. Chase your joy. Embrace it so tightly that you never have to find it again because you’ll never let it go.
And never forget that I love you.
Love,
