How to: find happiness.

“All things that are
Are with more spirit chasèd than enjoyed”
-Shakespeare.

Happiness. Simple word, much weight. Seems like it is always evading us, no matter how hard we try to find it and contain it. What kind of magic jar can lock happiness in for eternity, you ask? Tough question, simple answer: gratitude.

Gratitude is that magic word which will make your life take a sharp turn for the best. It may not seem like much, but changing the way you perceive the little things in life- things that don’t seem to matter but ultimately build you up and define you- is always a great start on the journey to a happy life.

Let’s be fair, it sucks so much that you didn’t get that job you wanted or that you are stuck in a mundane routine of sleep-eat-work-repeat, but here you are! Alive, capable and ready for change! I want you to focus, just for a few seconds, on the things that made you feel good today- the little moments that snatched a heartfelt smile (yes that one!) from you and made your day a little better. Feeling good aren’t you? I sure hope so.❤

Then, I want you to think about the things that you are unhappy about. What makes you feel sad, angry, lonely and desperate? Feel that change in your mood? Feel your happiness dissolving into a deep pit of your stomach, contracting with every breath, making you feel sick? Yep. You did that to yourself. You control your emotions, not the other way around! Keeping that in mind, you can either be grateful for all the amazing things that happened to you, you can be proud of everything that you have accomplished and will continue to accomplish or you could ponder on the things that hurt you, bother you and make you feel inadequate.

Though it may not seem like it, happiness is a choice you make on a daily basis. Nobody can make you happy besides yourself.

However, I do agree bringing yourself to be happy is tough at times. Such a challenge it seems to be, when your world seems to be spiraling out of control, and everything you see around you is people enjoying their wonderful life, while seemingly being unaware of the sorrows of human existence.

But helloooo, let me break it to you, we all have our bad days. And life is not always in hues of pinks but, as cheesy as it may sound, it always gets better. This moment may be tough, but you, pretty human, do not need to give in to mere circumstances that are in fact, paving your way to success.

Ask yourself every time something goes wrong: is this where you want to be? Is your current situation your actual goal? If not, then what’s the use of worrying about it! Although it may seem like it, there is not just a single road to your dreams. The road to success is built by the one who perseveres and strives– not the one who gives up!

Wipe away your tears, sweetheart, you can do this. Whatever it is that you want to achieve, it will come to you only if you stay focused and positive. It does not matter if it seems impossible, what matters is that you care enough about your dreams to accept your current situation while not letting it tear you down.

Do you think that the world around you was built with utmost ease? That the one who dared dream of flying a machine had it easy? NO! But they did it! They achieved what they set out to do, because the joy that the prospect of success brought them always outshone the pain of current failure. So dare to be happy at your worst because, in the end, your failure brought you one step closer to your goal! If you don’t know what to do, at least you know what not to and that, in itself, is experience gained.

Life is about the journey to your goal. The moment you are waiting for to be happy may or may not happen so stop waiting!

Have you ever wanted something really bad? So bad, that life seemed so gloomy, so dull, without it? Whether it was a toy, a mobile, or a pair of killer shoes, how did you feel when you finally received it? Did the world turn brighter? It might have.. For a few days. Then what?

Same old feeling of dissatisfaction, same lack of interest, already on the look out for that next thing or event that will utterly change your world and turn everything into a fairytale! However, you and I both know it won’t happen. You’ll ride on the waves of utter joy for a couple of hours and then, your world will come crashing back down into the mundane.

We always associate our happiness to things that are lacking and often do we realise, upon getting them, that they do not really make us happy in the long run. Such is the reality of life.

Happiness will be not permanent until we stop associating it to material objects or circumstances and instead start linking it to ourselves, and our journey in this big, wonderful world.

On that note, cheers to you, beautiful. You got this and you can do so many fulfilling things by focusing not on circumstance, but on your goals. I believe in you and in your ability to be happy, you should too.

Sending you loads of love and positivity,

Priyanka.