When I really get in trouble is when this is paired with my tendency to theorize about the future. I end up working myself up about where I'll be able to send off 100 lanters for my 20th birthday (which is actually happening by the way :) or how I'll decorate my apartment when I'm on my own- things that won't happen for months or even years in advance. Sometimes I dwell too much in this fairy-tale land and end up being pretty disappointed when I come back down to earth.
So, this post is dedicated to finding happiness right now this very second in your very own life!!!!!
Inspired by an incredible Sunday service, I hope you find this helpful and inspiring. I'd love to know your thoughts and additions/modifications to my three step plan.
1. Notice the Little Things
Noticing the little things that make life a joy helps us live in the moment and not worry, or even care, so much about the future. I'm sure there are many, man ways to do this, but my favorite way is to keep a gratitude journal.
All you do, is take your lovely, little, private journal and make a glorious account of the things that you are grateful for :) For example:
Today, I'm grateful for:
Slippery Snow
Polka Dots
People courageous enough to ask for help
Number and depth are entirely up to you, but writing them everyday will force you to look harder for things that make your day! I know from experience that this will train your mind into thinking that every little part of your life is a blessing, because it really is. :)
Another BRILLIANT idea that I heard today, is writing down five things everyday that someone else has done for you. I wrote my first entry this very afternoon and I can already tell that it's going to make a difference in my attitude and interactions with others :)
2. Make the Conscious Decision to Love Everyone Around You
This is an extremely difficult feat. I'm not saying that I'm perfect or even proficient at this, but I am saying that I've tried it, and it works.
This challenge is asking you to leave neutral ground. For this step to work properly, you can't see people and not have an opinion about them, you need to know that every single person you come in contact with is worth your time and concern. Taking this a step further would be knowing that you are in need of their time and concern.
Loving people is hard. They hurt you, frustrate you, confuse you, and sometimes they're just stupid. But I really believe that no matter how many horrible wishes we have for someone, we can learn to love them through prayer and honest effort. My favorite way is to ask them about their day write down five things that I appreciate about them immediately afterwards. In my experience, asking them what truly makes them happy is a pretty easy way to start liking someone :)
Sometimes people hurt us so deeply that we need a much more intense process than the one mentioned above. I encourage you to talk to someone you trust about it and then take the matter up with your Savior.
3. Taking Time to Feel the Spirit
People laugh when walking with me to class because I say things like, "Isn't it pretty the way the snow sparkles next to the pond?" I know I probably sound completely ridiculous when I say things like this, but I've realized that the easiest and most sure way for me to feel the influence of the Holy Ghost is through nature and I love to share it! Never do I feel the power of God more fully than when I'm sitting at the top of a ski lift, smelling the cold, evergreen air and feeling the kiss of a thousand angel snowflakes on my face. It's in these moments that I realize I am loved by a Higher Being and that I'm a part of a grand, eternal plan.
Everybody feels this way through different experiences. Whatever your way is, take the time everyday to let this feeling of love and awe overpower you for just a moment. It will put your life in perspective and fill you with a kind of peace that only God can bring.
Life is hard and sad, but it's meant to be enjoyed!
Love, Lou
P.S. I'm really sorry about the grammatical/spelling errors. :)
