Key Takeaways:
Choosing happiness requires effort and a daily practice of consciously choosing our thoughts, reactions, and feelings.
Affirming our emotions and accepting them without shame or criticism is an essential step towards happiness.
Living life passively and on autopilot limits our ability to experience true joy and fulfillment.
Welcome to Charlie's Toolbox, where we explore the tools and skills needed to own your power and know your worth, let's get started! Often, there's a misconception that happiness simply comes to you, as if it's something external that will magically manifest in your life. However, the truth is far more empowering. Happiness is a journey, a series of deliberate choices and actions that you take to cultivate joy and fulfillment. It's about embracing the power you have within yourself to shape your happiness. In this journey, we'll explore the tools, insights, and mindset shifts necessary to embark on your path to lasting happiness.
Affirming Emotions: Acceptance and Understanding
One of the fundamental aspects of choosing happiness is affirming our emotions. In the past, many of us may have felt ashamed or embarrassed by our reactions or behaviors. We would often criticize ourselves and think of ways we could have handled situations differently. However, when we choose happiness, we also choose to affirm how we feel. We accept that our emotions are valid and that if we reacted a certain way, it was because we felt that way.
How: Affirming our emotions involves asking ourselves what about a situation bothered us and what we can learn from it. By communicating our emotions to loved ones and those we want to love, we create space for understanding and growth. This practice allows us to recognize our triggers and develop healthier ways of responding to challenging situations. Choosing happiness means embracing our emotions without shame or criticism and using them as valuable sources of self-awareness and personal growth.
Living with Intention: Breaking Free from Autopilot
Life can be challenging and unpredictable, often leaving us feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. In response, we may retreat and live life passively, on autopilot. We may protect ourselves from pain and sadness by not fully engaging with life, but in doing so, we also limit our ability to experience true happiness and joy. Choosing happiness requires breaking free from this cycle of retreat and actively showing up for life.
How:
When we show up fully, we expose ourselves to both bliss and agony. While it may be tempting to protect ourselves from pain, doing so also prevents us from fully experiencing the beauty and joy that life has to offer. When you are actively participating in life, you are presenting your most authentic self. When you are showing up, you are focusing on the moment and not how people are perceiving you. When you live with intention, you are aware of your values and you make choices based on values that make you feel great.
Choosing happiness means embracing the uncertainty and unpredictability of life and being present in every moment, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable it may be.
XOXO
-Charlie!