Most people spend a whole lot of time thinking about what they want in life. Focusing on what we want, can often feel depleting though—because we end up thinking about what we don’t have.
People ultimately want things because of the way they think they will feel when they get them. You may want to lose ten pounds because of how you think you will feel if you’re thinner. You may want a new job or be in a relationship because of how you imagine you will feel. You may want a new bag, car, home, or pair of shoes because of how you envision you will feel if you have those things.
A big issue for most of us though, is the complete disregard that so often occurs shortly after reaching a goal or getting something we desire. We are quickly onto the next thing. We often get so caught up thinking about how we want our lives to look, that we forget about all the abundance that already exists.
This is not to say you should give up your hopes and dreams, but you don’t have to wait for those things in order to feel good. While at times, I am definitely guilty of fantasizing about life with such and such, it feels a hell of a lot better when I think about all that I already have.
I often think about the power of generating feeling states. If what we really want is just a feeling, then wouldn’t it be amazing if we could create those feelings without the need to have or be anything different?
The fastest way to get there is with gratitude—and the easiest way to feel gratitude is to be more present.
What is good in this exact moment in time? What’s great in your life today? What do you love about your life? What do you want that you already have?
I often suggest my clients start keeping gratitude journals. It’s an easy exercise that can get just about anyone on the fast track to happy. There are many variations, but consistency is key. All ya gotta do is keep track of all the things that make you smile each day. Whether you buy an actual journal, or keep notes on your phone, it’s all good. You can write things down as they occur, or sit down at the end of the day and try and come up with three things that made you feel good that day. You can also play around with this exercise and apply it to relationships, work, and yourself. What’s good? What do you like? Focus on the positives.
What will most likely occur pretty quickly, is that you’ll realize you’ve got it pretty good. Life may not be all sunshine and daisies, but there’s a lot to feel happy about. It’s not always about getting anything new—it can simply be about loving what you have—and loving what we have leads to lots of feeling awesome.
That’s it—that’s all I got for ya!
Happy day!
