How to Be Happy Anytime

I get email updates every time the website Zen Habits posts a new blogpost.  Now I cannot honestly tell you how I came across this website, but I love it.  I always feel that every post Leo posts speaks to me in someway, and the always comes when I need it the most. I've noticed that I've been feeling a little down lately.  I'm guessing it's because of traveling. To make myself a little happier I always listen to Disturbed or System of a Down....I know, I know, one would think that they wouldn't be the best bands to listen to when you're down. Disturbed and System has helped me get through a lot though. I've been listening to both bands for freakin' ever, and I never get tired of them. Anyways....back to what I was saying. I've been feeling a bit down lately. Well, it isn't that I've been feeling down, I've just been feeling off...like something is missing...my life has changed so much this summer, so I guess having that feeling is natural. I can say one thing though, I do feel happier right now at this very moment than I have in months....I have noticed little things about me that have changed....especially my laugh. I don't know, it's like I put more feeling into it. I feel like in a way my whole demeanor has changed.

So I was feeling a little off today, and I opened my email and I had an email from Zen Habits. I always get excited to get these emails....like I said, they always come at the times when I need them the most. This entry was called How to Be Happy Anytime....I swear Leo must be in my head. Here's what he says in the post:

My friend Barron recently asked, “If you could be anywhere right now, doing anything you want, where would you be? And what would you be doing?”
And my answer was, “I’m always where I want to be, doing what I want to be doing.”
I’ve notice that in the past, like many people, I was always wishing I was doing something different, thinking about what I would do in the future, making plans for my life to come, reading (with jealousy) about cool things other people were doing.
It’s a fool’s game.
Many of us do this, but if you get into the mindset of thinking about what you *could* be doing, you’ll never be happy doing what you actually *are* doing. You’ll compare what you’re doing with what other people (on Facebook and Twitter, perhaps?) are doing. You’ll wish your life were better. You’ll never be satisfied, because there’s *always* something better to do.
Instead, I’ve adopted the mindset that whatever I’m doing right now is perfect. If I’m writing a post, that’s amazing. If I’m reading blog posts on the Internet, that’s interesting. If I’m doing nothing but hanging out with my family, that’s incredible. If I’m walking outside, enjoying the fresh air, that’s beautiful.
There’s nothing I’m ever doing that isn’t the most incredible thing on Earth. If I’m doing something sucky (I can’t remember doing that recently), maybe that’s an invaluable life lesson. If I’m with someone boring or obnoxious, it’s a lesson in patience, or empathy, or in learning to understand people better.

The Now Mindset, In Practice

Let’s say you’re washing the dishes. Wouldn’t you rather be having a delicious meal instead, or talking with your best friend? Sure, those things are great, but they’re only better if you believe they’re better, and more importantly, the comparison is totally unnecessary. Why should you compare what you’re doing now (washing dishes) with anything else? Wouldn’t almost anything lose out if you compare it to something you like more? Will you ever be happy with what you’re doing if you always compare it with something you like more?
Washing dishes can be as great as anything else, if you decide to see it that way. You’re in solitude, which is a beautiful thing. If you do it mindfully, washing dishes can be pleasant as you feel the suds and water in your hands, pay attention to the dish and its texture, notice your breathing and thoughts. It’s meditation, it’s quiet, it’s lovely.
You can say the same of anything. Driving to work? Enjoy the solitude, the chance to be alone with your thoughts, or to listen to music you love, to see the world around you. In a meeting with co-workers? Pay attention to how people talk and interact, learn about the human mind, see yourself in everyone around you, learn to love anyone no matter who they are, practice giving up expectations of who people should be or what this meeting should be like.
I’m always happy with what I’m doing, because I don’t compare it to anything else, and instead pay close attention to the activity itself. I’m always happy with whoever I’m with, because I learn to see the perfection in every person. I’m always happy with where I am, because there’s no place on Earth that’s not a miracle.
Life will suck if you are always wishing you’re doing something else. Life will rock if you realize you’re already doing the best thing ever.

I think that he makes a very important point in this article that we all should remember. We need to be happy with what we are doing right now in life. Maybe we shouldn't plan so much and we should go with the flow just a little bit more. Now, 90% of the people reading this is saying to themselves, "Really Kathy, did you just say that...Miss I'm going to plan everything in life." This is true, I do plan everything down to a T, just ask any of my friends. I even get a weekly calender at the beginning of each semester and color code my classes, work, study time, when I sleep, and I even schedule eating times and the time it takes me to get to class and get home...Not only do I use that paper calendar, but I use Google calendar, which syncs to my Blackberry, I use an app called Lister (it allows you to make more than one to-do list on your Blackberry...HIGHLY recommended), and I even make my own to-do list on paper....and sometimes I get anal enough to make a calendar out of index cards and keep it clipped in a bulldog clip on me at all time...ridiculous right??? So I'm totally not trying to be snotty and say "hey I do this and you suck if you don't." I'm simply saying that we should all work on making ourselves happy. It can be hard not caring what anyone else thinks. I take everyone's opinion into consideration, but I have to do what makes me happy. This is my summer and my time to do it. I really do not know a better time to work on myself than now, and the good thing is, I have awesome friends and family that want to make sure I do think of myself for once. So please, for the love of Zeus, make yourself happy, and celebrate what you have in life. It may not be much, God knows I don't have a lot, but just be happy with the things you do have...trust me, most things you can do without...just be happy :)

XOXO,

V.K.