It can be surprisingly difficult for someone to admit that they’re not happy with their current situation in life. They may think “well, I like where I live, and the people in my life – I should be happy so I’ll say I am”. They trick themselves into believing that all is OK, when in reality it’s not. They may be happy with PARTS of their life, but secretly unhappy with other parts – it may not be conscious (especially if they’re trying to force themselves to be content with what they have!), but it’s there – lingering in their subconscious.
It takes some deep thought, and looking hard at your life and situation to be able to admit that you’re not happy, and that you need to change something. For me, that is a process I started a little over a year ago. There were things I was happy about – Ann for instance – and other things I was not happy about. I started tackling them one by one – first was my weight. About a year ago I weighed 235 pounds. Yesterday at the doctors office I weighed in at 184 pounds. I’m MUCH happier with the new weight than with the old. I feel like I accomplished something and got closer to the person I want to be – the person I know I *CAN* be.
I’ve done that periodically with various aspects of my life – I took a photography class to help become a better photographer. I bought a house so I could move out and live on my own. I got a better, higher paying job to further my career.
Yet, I still have this nagging sense that I’m not where I *want* to be – there’s something missing, and I can’t QUITE put my finger on it….
But even as I write this, I have made a realization. What I’m looking for; that “missing piece of the puzzle”, is something I’ve been looking at as a destination of sorts. Something to “Get to” in order to be happy – when in reality, it’s a journey. The happiness should come from the every day, not some end goal. Happiness isn’t about what you weigh, where you live, how much money you make. It’s about enjoying the things around you, the things you love. It’s about spending time with your family when you can (as often as you can), hanging out with you friends, spending time with your significant other.
I think that I’ve realized – even as I wrote this – that the key to my happiness isn’t something I can GET, it’s not something I need to change – other than my mode of thinking. The key to my happiness is to enjoy the moment, and not be thinking so much about the future.
Nice. I feel a bit better now.
Congrats on the strides you have made in your life! I visit a blog called The Happiness Project often. You might enjoy it:
http://www.happiness-project.com/