When was the last time you slowed down to reflect on how your life is bringing you happiness? Value the importance of making time for self reflection and happiness.
Stop Right Now and Reflect on Your Daily Life and Dreams
This past week has been very busy on several levels, both the real and the vision. I have an abundance of activities on my plate right now that involve some “real” immediate action. Then at the same time I have several thoughts tumbling around in my mind involving my “vision” for the future. Very soon they will require me to make some hard tough choices.
The Importance of Self Reflection and Happiness
Will the overload lead to my Happiness?
Now for those of you that follow along with my blog you will know I have a real problem with taking on more tasks than I should. I spread myself to the thinnest possible amount and push my mindfulness and positivity to the max by taxing my mental capacity.
I am always pushing to optimize every aspect of whatever I am doing at the time. Although lately I feel I might be missing the mark on adhering to my own guiding philosophy and what I am striving for in my vision of what a perfect future state looks like.
The struggle for me is coming from trying to make the transition between my old life and my vision of what my new life should be. The busyness of real work, a full plate of tasks and laying the framework of the future state is relentless. As a result I am burdened with a duplication of tasks and workload as I am stuck right in the middle of making a new life a reality.
Find Your Center – The Importance of Self Reflection and Happiness
With this physical and mental overload of activity and decision making , a storm brews up and clouds the clarity of my defining beliefs that hold me focused and content. I want to find happiness by clearing away the excess in life. I want to focus on the important things within my circle of concern and to inspire those in my circle of influence. Lastly I want to be mindful in my behaviour and choices. As a result of being overwhelmed I loose sight of those principles and feel I am not being truthful or authentic with myself or with you the reader.
Mindful Explorer
Slow Down and Build a Supportive Environment around Yourself
Just when I want to throw my arms in the air and run away I remember to take pause. The laptop is pulled out and I escape into reading the words of a terrific network of fellow bloggers and regular people that I have surrounded myself with. Their words, their support and their own struggles help bring some clear skies back to the stormy clouds that had darkened my spirit.
A Reading List of Inspirational and Helpful Blogs
Here are a few of the articles I read this week that helped me get back on track and realize that all that hard work is worth it. Being open to the ideas and opinions of others has helped me learn so much more and become aware of a new way of leading my daily life. I hope that these following posts are beneficial to you.
The Importance of Self Reflection and Happiness – Remain Focused
How to 80/20 the Hell Outta Your Life from Steve at ThinkSaveRetire.com . A terrific post that reminds me of a principle that I know all to well and will help me push the unnecessary stress to the side. Here is a small quote from his post on happiness.
Instead, the intent is to pinpoint the 20%-ish of things you do, say, eat and buy that account for the vast majority of happiness in your life, and forget the remaining 80% that’s just fluff. The truth is the fluff is what most of us stress out about the most…the things that we cannot control..the things that don’t affect our lives.
The Importance of Self Reflection and Happiness – Be Fearless
Fluffy Stuff – Inside and Out from Simon and his self titled blog of which I have been following for awhile now after discovering him via his girlfriend Goody. (who is a wonderful writer Here) He has mad some radical changes to his life in the past year and his reflection on those changes always helps guide my choices. The post he shared today hit home and fueled my writing this post even more, a small except from that post.
I chose a word for myself, something to embrace that encapsulated my journey ahead – a focal point that I could fall back on in times of fear. Well it worked rather well because my word was Fearless. And yet, I have since realized that fear is real and can be acknowledged and is not to be ignored or hidden. Not once in the past year when facing adversity was I ever fear-less. What I did with it, however changed. When we allow it to manipulate our lives – that was what I chose to overcome.
The Importance of Self Reflection and Happiness – Exude Happiness
How to be Happy and Lead a Meaningful Life by J.D. Roth at MoneyBoss . Where to start with this in-depth and astounding article that touches on everything that I believe in. You just need to read it yourself. Let it sink in and then read it again or maybe another two times like I did. The easiest way to highlight what J.D. wrote is to share his 100 word personal philosophy road map.
The 100 Word Personal Philosophy RoadMap of J.D. Roth
Show Gratitude
What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do by my friend Cait , a wonderful writer on a road of self discovery and brave bold changes. Reading her words and the emotions shared of highs and lows along that path lets us know we are not alone. There are others like us out there, trying to stick to their beliefs and not let the stress get them down.
But, in a path of decisions and troubling times we can always remember to be kind and generous. It brings happiness to both you and them.
I can’t help but mention her shout out to another terrific write David Cain of Raptitude , who inspired her post above. I have always enjoyed his interpretation of the world around us and it makes sense that they know each other.
Final Thoughts on The Importance of Self Reflection and Happiness
As I bring this post to an end in the process of reflection on my thoughts and emotions today, I smile on how it all began. A single thought was sparked by a captivation poem that my friend shared on his Facebook page. Mark is both a baker and a poet, choosing to serve up healthy doses of tasty treats with ample sides of societal commentary. Thank-you my friend for allowing my to read this and be inspired to reflect on myself.
Please enjoy his poem and if you like please check out his Facebook page ~ Well Bred
Things I Notice I Couldn’t Help Noticing
By Mark Primer
Half the people win.
More than half of them lose.
Winters are disappearing.
Fish and birds.
There are more cars
but towns are emptier.
The food is horrible,
but for the moment
you can still eat well
provided you know how to cook.
Politically,
none of us are engaged.
Religiously,
we are bankrupt.
It was our grandparents
maybe even our parents
who stood for something.
They were immutable,
unchanging. Not us.
We don’t stand for anything.
Technology has overcome us.
The phone we carry in our hand
is an auxiliary brain.
It is hard to have a conversation
that doesn’t look like the delta of a river.
Thoughts become words – Mark of Well Bred
Beautifully written, Chris – and from the heart. We’re all on this road together. All asking questions, working hard to be mindful, purposeful – looking for the way, the light, the joy. Knowing you – I am confident you will find what you are looking for. All you have to do is keep moving in your direction. Your compass is pure gold.
Thanks Goody, I appreciate the kind words and the support. Here’s to keeping on Keeping on 🙂
Amazing post! Thank you so much for the links and poems! Now look what you’ve done – kept me up until the wee hours reading and celebrating – and mulling…
Breathe.
Smile.
Ahhh, that’s better. Time to sleep.
The best way through a challenge is to slow down, reflect and then charge forward right 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to comment Simon
Spot on and I love Marks poem at the end. Mindfulness is key to the life you want to lead and not the life you see decaying around you. I too turn to my blogging friends as a great support system and to stay on task with what is really important to me. We have many distractions in life some good and positive (kids, family) but many negative (specifically social media). Trying to steer your ship to shore seems downright impossible at times but the power within will eventually push you into tide. 🙂
Steering that ship can be downright impossible at times, you are so right and as you said having the right network of people around you can make it so much easier. Mark’s poem, I’m very fortunate to have him as a friend and the story he was telling needs to be listened to, I know I need to be more in the moment.
Well said. Focus on the important things and make sure those things are what makes you happy and define who you are and are striving to be.
Thanks Shawn , focused and mindful on the path.
This is a gorgeous post. I’m enjoying exploring the rest of the blog. So many people feel this way – my husband and I talk about it all the time. Something is malfunctioning in the way we live today for so many to feel this way. Your friend’s poem… it really stopped me.
Linda, I appreciate you taking the time to read my post. Yes, it is time to change the way we live and it starts through many little changes everyday towards our happiness. I’m glad you liked Mark’s poem and for me who uses social media so much it has me taking a step back looking at what I am doing personally.
Beautiful words, my friend. Incredible how much time we spend chasing things that don’t actually bring us happiness.
I have no title, no job and just time reflecting on what has been important to me. By changing my path, being open to new ideas with mindfulness leading the way my life has improved beyond imagination. Wanting for less and giving of positive energy to others is what brings me the most happiness.