You can work for what you desire while still being happy with what you have. It’s important to find happiness where we’re at because the present is what matters the most.
People tend to get caught up in their plans for the future and what they want to achieve, expecting happiness will come with more success, but that’s not the case. If you’re not happy with life, you’ll always be chasing the next thing.
I hope this post gives you some comfort, reassurance and tips on being happy with what you have.
This post is all about being happy with what you have.
Worrying is a huge waste of time
Lift off that unnecessary shame and pressure on yourself to be somewhere you “should be”. Let’s get rid of the word “should” in our vocabulary. Cause honestly, who tf has the right to claim where someone should be at? Where are you getting these ideas of where you “should” be? Society? Parents? Let go of those limiting beliefs and thoughts. This is your life, and you get to decide how your life goes. You will be okay.
We think worrying helps us to be prepared for life, but it’s really just raising your stress and worsening your mental health. When you’re worrying or feeling overwhelmed, write down a list of things you can do to get closer to your goal(s). Having them out on paper will help you feel less overwhelmed. With that list you can break it down to even smaller tasks that you can do each day.
Tell God your plans and he’ll laugh
Give yourself grace
It can feel worse when it’s our own expectations that we haven’t met, but you don’t have to condemn yourself for not being where you thought you would be. It’s good to be ambitious and have higher standards for yourself but criticizing yourself is pointless. Nothing goes to plan anyways, like that saying goes, “Tell God your plans and he’ll laugh”.
Rather than criticize yourself, give yourself grace. You get to control your perception of things. Instead of criticizing yourself for not meeting others/your own expectations, just objectively look at the situation and act accordingly. You don’t need to attach shame or internalize “failures” and mistakes. They do not define you, they’re merely parts of your journey.
Switch self critical thoughts to self compassionate ones
I understand that it’s not that easy to stop unhealthy thinking patterns and beliefs that were ingrained in us as children. But trust me, once you begin to notice when you’re criticizing yourself, you’ll be able to stop and change the thought to a more healthy one.
“I’m behind. I’m a failure. I’m not doing enough. I’m not good enough.” —> “I am worthy of achieving my goals. I am capable of reaching my goals. I am worthy of love and happiness at every stage of my life. Success does not define my value.”
Accept yourself and life for what it is right now. Accept that you’re not where you thought you’d be. Accept and let those expectations GO. It’s unfair to you. Be kind and patient with yourself as you would be with your loved ones. We’re all a work in progress and growth is not linear.
So rather than saying, “Ugh, I don’t know what to do with my life. I’m not going to be successful” say, “I’m where I’m meant to be and as long as I keep trying I will achieve my goals.” Achieving some goals will not bring you happiness and solve your problems. You need to find happiness where you are now. Be happy with what you have.
Celebrate the little things
Set some time to reflect on your personal wins so far in the year. All wins: career, personal life, internally etc.. What have you accomplished so far? There’s no accomplishment too small or insignificant. Count anything that you’re proud of. Notice where you’ve improved and grown, even in the slightest bit. Don’t focus on the negatives right now, this time is only for the good things.
Even if you haven’t made huge improvements or feel like not much growth has occurred, keep looking. What are some valuable lessons you’ve learned? Have you practiced setting/sticking to boundaries? Did you unlearn an unhealthy pattern? You can simply celebrate that you’ve woken up another day and have gotten through it with food in your stomach.
Switch your perspective of “success”. Society portrays success as lots of money, great job, spouse and kids but success is also very much the little things. People may not notice your wins. Your wins may not be as “large” and “impressive” to others, however all that matters is that you notice them and celebrate yourself for them. Those “little” wins only you know of can really help you realize how blessed you are.
Give yourself credit
Sometimes we focus too much on what we need to work on rather than the progress we’ve made so far. You are not the same person as you were a year ago, or even a few months ago. You are doing great. Give yourself some credit for how you’ve evolved! You’ve learned and realized new things that have led you to be the person you are now.
Don’t get so caught up in where you still need to improve, you are closer to your goals than you were yesterday. You do not always have to be productive. Listen to your body and give yourself a break when needed. Also, there’s no need to always be improving yourself. It can be tiring always focusing on self improvement and consuming the content. Allow yourself to put into practice what you’ve been learning. I’m proud of you!
Boredom is peaceful
Boredom is a choice
I used to see boredom with a negative connotation. I would wish my life was more eventful when I heard my friends’ stories. Now, I’ve realized what a blessing it is to be “bored”. Boredom is normal and something we should be more used to. It’s a huge privilege to be bored. There’s nothing stressful, dramatic or chaotic going on. Plus, boredom is a choice, there’s always something that can entertain you. A book, a movie, arts project, exercise and so on.
Switch your perspective to how you define an “eventful” life. The changes going on in your life may mostly be inward, or in your personal life but they’re still changes that keep life interesting. You don’t always have to have crazy stories or travel far places for your life to be fun and eventful. Comparison is the thief of joy.
Trust the process
Trust that everything is working out in your favor. That you are on the right path. Believe in yourself. Believe that you are worthy and capable of your dreams coming true. Repeating affirmations, being kind to yourself, giving yourself love instead of criticism, and getting out of your comfort zone are things that will help you gain trust in yourself. I have posts on each of these things: How to Practice Self Compassion, How Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone Can Change You, How to Improve Your Relationship With Yourself,Reaching Self Acceptance and much more.
Acknowledge that there will be periods of inactivity just as there are periods of change. Patience is needed. Appreciate that where you are right now is a part of your journey. It’s just as valid as the highs and lows. Be happy with what you have and where you are.
Take action
If you’re really unhappy with your current situation, take action. Do something that will bring change to your life. If you’re holding back, start now. You never know what will come out of you taking that first step.
If there’s unhealthy habits holding you back, it’s important to put in the effort to break them. Expecting change out of repeating the same old patterns isn’t going to get you anywhere. It’s not even about being able to completely break them quickly, it’s about trying until you finally do.
There’s no rush, just start with one unhealthy habit you want to change to a better one. Take note of what you’d like to change or improve on and choose one thing to prioritize. Don’t expect to see change in a day or week. What’s one thing you can do to get you closer to your goal(s)?
This post was all on being happy with what you have.
After you finish reading this post, list down the things you’re grateful for until you fill at least half the page. Remind yourself to shift your focus onto what you’re grateful for. The good and the bad.
I hope this post helped you change your perspective and got you a little closer to being happy with what you have. I appreciate you so much for taking the time out of your day to read my post. Have a great day/night! <3