“I’m not happy. I just don’t know what to do.” This is what one of my friends said to me the other day. There is nothing more saddening than when someone is unhappy and it feels like there is nothing I can do to help. After talking with her awhile, I realized she was focusing too much on what others thought of her and what others thought she should do with her life.
She is not alone. Too many focus on other’s opinion. Others are lonely. Countless times I have heard a teenager or young adult say, “If I only had a girlfriend/boyfriend.” Do not base your happiness on someone else! You have to make your own happiness.
I told my friend that she has to start focusing on herself. “Focus on you and you alone. Be a little selfish. Start doing things to better yourself and happiness will fall into place.” If you listen to too much of what others say about you, you will start believing it.
If you are not happy with yourself, reinvent yourself. If you are happy, but are just in a slump: analyze yourself and see what you can do to be the best person you can be. If you are completely happy with everything in your life, that is awesome.
The first thing to do when others are controlling your happiness is to cut all negativity out of your life. I know that our society is so caught up in social media that it seems as though we can’t live without it. Guess what, we can. So many times I scroll through my newsfeed on Facebook and all I see are complaints and negativity. I realized that I was on Facebook all throughout the day filling myself with this negativity. I had to cut it out of my life. I did not delete my Facebook, but I did delete the app on my phone so I don’t have constant access to it. Now when I want to get on Facebook, I simply open my laptop and log on the old fashioned way.
There are millions of little ways to rid negativity out of your life and bring the good in. I have a list I’m calling my “Keys to Happiness.” I am completely happy but I want to be the best person I can be. I want to fill my life with positivity.
Before I give ya’ll my list, I have one more point. You have to realize what is important and remember them. My order of importance for everything:
1. God
2. Spouse
3. Family
4. Career
These are my personal goals. I add to this list constantly. Do I do everything on this list currently? Not at all. But this list is my guide of things to do to be a better person by my standards. Make your own list! Feel free to share your list with me in a comment below!
First Lady of Pole Creek 