Achieving happiness typically involves times of considerable discomfort. You probably know what you don't want by now from personal experience, in other words, you KNOW what makes you unhappy. We all do. We could all probably come up with a laundry list of complaints about things we know make us unhappy.
But what about the elusive happiness that we are all chasing? Does it flow in when we get the right house? Job? Partner? Perhaps we have to answer a question for ourselves that we may never have thought to ask..
Really think about that one. The answers may surprise you if you take the time to listen to your higher self. What does your higher true self lack? Is it alone time? Long walks at sunset? What about someone to talk to? For example, when I think of what I owe myself, my true self, these are some things that come to mind.
- Horseback riding
- Being in nature
- Meditation
- Early bed times
- Massage therapy
- Dance classes
- A clean room
- More relaxing baths
- Meaningful Work
My True self isn't asking for an expensive car or a new dress. My "ego" might, but my true self wants other things. Some things are harder to give myself than others. I live in the city for example so I would have to schedule a time and a ride to get to the country to visit with some horses and pay for it too. This may seem like a lot of effort for something that gives me no monetary value or a physical 'reward' but my higher self is asking for this for a specific reason. Happiness. Your higher self knows what it needs to be happy and it's not as hard as you think. Maybe you're in a job that you absolutely hate and deep down if you were to ask yourself what you owe yourself it may be clear that a job you love would be one of those things. No one said it would be easy to grant yourself that wish but it IS worth it however. After all aren't we all chasing happiness? In everything that we do, in every decision that we make, is it not to hopefully bring us more happiness?
It is possible, let go of whatever it is that is keeping you from fulfilling the things on your list of what you owe yourself. You may think that sacrificing one "big" aspect of your life (like your time, your money, a certain commitment, or even your job) for something "smaller" and seemingly less significant wouldn't be worth it, but that mindset is probably what had you cut out all "seemingly less significant" ideas about how you could spend your time. Those ideas might just be the missing pieces of your puzzle of happiness. Life is about balance, we MUST balance what we CHOOSE to do with what we NEED to do. It is this balance that brings us true happiness.
Maybe you owe yourself some form of therapy, maybe you owe yourself daily compliments, more time with friends, maybe just a hot bath. Whatever it is, ask yourself, listen carefully, make a list, and get going! Doing things for our true selves can be scary. Will people judge you? Will they think you're selfish? Lazy? Weird? Anti-social? Crazy? Maybe. Maybe not. But who cares. It's not their happiness. It's Yours.
