I’d Rather Be Happy Than Right

Dearest gentle reader,

Wait, wrong intro.  Ahem, friends.  I was going through my journal the other day and I opened to a page I had written “I’d rather be happy than right.”  The crazy thing was, there were so many times I could count that I actually wanted both.  Over the years I have made so many mistakes. So many.  But the fact is, I have never backed down from what is right, true, and honest in this world and I realize that is a part of me.  In all my years of reflections, self-help books, books about “woo-woo” topics, studying the mind, body and energy levels, I have unpacked so many beliefs that were not mine to begin with.  And while that is tremendous progress in itself, the one thing I am truly working on is that connection to inner peace that is unshakeable.

Wow.  Wouldn’t that be a cool superpower to have? Since my guess is we’d all want that as a power we could call up at any moment, I decided to unpack the steps it takes to start working towards that journey.

Steps it takes to be happy:

  1. Decide you are going to be happy.  I know that sounds strange, but you really need to say this out loud and affirm it.  Today I am going to let happiness be my guide.
  2. Write it out.  Each day I want you to start out with 5 things that make you happy and 5 things you are going to let go of.  I am serious.  5 things you normally would be a bit nitpicky (think Monica on Friends) about. And decide that they need to be let go for the day.  It can be little things like someone didn’t take their shows off at the door of your house, but you just let it go.  The happy things can be easy like a good cup of coffee.  A kind word.  Things you can create for yourself.
  3. Let go of the need to be right.  This one might be hard for some people.  Sometimes our attachment to certain outcomes gets in the way of our ability to be happy.  I want you to think of a time this happened, and I want you to forgive yourself for the emotion you attached to this.  As anything comes up in the day like that example, I want you to focus on the feeling of forgiveness and happiness.  Just sit in it a minute before your emotions rise up and overtake you.  You can do it.  You are in control of your emotions.
  4. Connect to love.  This is one of the hardest things that I personally do daily.  Let me explain.  That guy who cut you off in traffic?  Send them love that they arrive safely.  The person at work who is always trying to look better than you?  Send them love because clearly, they aren’t getting the attention they need.  The spiteful, condescending person who uses passive-aggressive behavior and half-truths to get ahead?  Just send them healing and love that whoever taught them that is the way to operate one day apologizes to them.  Each and every action of the things that cause you to want to be right are attached to something that was taught to us.
  5. Heal your inner child. Forgive yourself for what you didn’t know.  Think back to what made you happy as a child.  Add more of that into your life.  Making mud pies?  Okay, get outside and play in the dirt more.  Picking flowers?  Start growing your own or stop and buy yourself a bouquet as a reminder.  Get some bubbles and blow bubbles outside.  Even hand them out at work and ask your office to go outside and take a bubble break during the day.  Think of ways you can spread this joy and happiness.

This is your job today my friends and I hope you go forth and journal around this.

While you are journaling, you can also add a gratitude practice to your routine that would really help this process.  Here’s the one I suggest as it also gives you steps to follow, and easy journal prompts that will help make the routine last:

Gratitude Journal and Guide

For anything else you might need to assist you, feel free to check out this link.

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