Project Happiness Articles — attitude

I believe that over the ages, through the passing of time. We have lost two incredibly important characteristics. I think that if we were to regain these two simple things, our lives would become so much better than they are, and we would be able to survive the storm that rages in our minds. The best part is that one of them leads to the other.

So, the unerring thought that hit me when I turned 50 was, “Why do I look old but feel 27?” I imagine most of us feel much younger but we adhere to society’s rules, pack away our padded shoulders, big hair and Jelly shoes and sit on the sidelines from now on in.

The trap I was falling into was the tendency to judge each and every experience on the scale of my likes and dislikes. If we truly want to learn how to embrace each moment of our lives, rather than pulling some close and pushing others away, we need to understand that a sensation is neither desirable nor undesirable.

Facing mental health issues leaves you caught in the headlights. It strips you of everything you think is essential and forces you to reevaluate your life, and that's what has happened to me. Crazy, I know, but thats how my issues with mental health can alter my thinking. And yet I am not my illness, and every day I strive to take up the challenge to celebrate life for all that it is.

As a (former) pessimist, I can’t deny the good deal of jealousy I felt reading up on the many benefits ascribed to living optimistically. I regarded my pessimism as a good defence mechanism: if I never expected much from the world, then I won’t get as disappointed than others whenever things don’t work out.

Change can be a blessing or a curse; it depends on how we perceive it.  It’s fair to say that every one of us know someone going through some kind of change. It may be you. Just look at the state of our society and the world, if you dare. Change can arrive swiftly, without warning; the familiar can turn on a dime. 

I've discovered that some people love setting goals around this time of year and others hate it - like seriously despise it. Whatever category you fall into is fine by me, but I believe anyone can benefit from making a vision board. It's a physical, tangible reminder of what you want the coming months to reflect.

I have given much thought to that age-old question of how we square pegs fit through a round hole; how we fit through the opportunities before us. And what I have found along that journey is that we have three answers – and therefore three options.

Now that we live in the era of unlimited connectedness, we seem to have lost the single thread of our own stories that makes us so wonderfully human – our humility.

There is a happiness conspiracy afoot and I’m starting to get concerned. Messages of happiness have been pummelling me from all directions. It’s barely noon and I’ve already seen happy-faced emojis sprinkled throughout my incoming text messages