Monday, November 25, 2013

Monday Mantra: You Were Designed to be Happy

mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation".

Every Monday I will post a new thought, idea, or focus for the week. When you need a breather from life, when you need a little inspiration, or when you're about to jump over the conference table and strangle your co-worker, remember the mantra.


Monday Mantra: You were designed to be happy
I'm not sure what's going on in the world lately or if I can maybe blame some astrological occurrence, but it seems like a lot of people have had a hard, sad year. Sad being the emphasis. Not necessarily due to anything in particular, but just an overall sadness. And having been one of those people, I get it. I've felt it. It sucks.

While I don't enjoy feeling my own sadness, more than anything else I hate seeing my friends hurt- physically, emotionally, mentally. In those moments, I want nothing more than to find the exact words to somehow comfort them and make everything better. But words are delicate things and finding the right ones can be hard. They can't always fix broken hearts or heal heavy souls.

So, while I realize this blog is ultimately just a bunch of words, I will try to (kind of in the words of Coldplay, but not really...) fix all of us.

You were designed to be happy. 

Ultimately, this is what I believe. Happiness and sadness are like two partners in a relationship: You must have both to be whole. While happiness is what everyone would prefer to feel all of the time, I'd like to think that sadness has a very special purpose. I think that sadness is the thing awakening us, stirring us, forcing us to face whatever it is we need to face. Whether we need to change ourselves, our thoughts, our habits or patterns, I think sadness is ultimately trying to help us. It's forcing us to listen to something we've refused to acknowledge until now. It's here to help us grow, change, and get to a higher level of happy.

I also think some of the most brilliant minds and kindest hearts belong to those who suffer the most. They see things differently and feel things on a much deeper level. Think of Edgar Allan Poe or Elizabeth Gilbert. Look how much we've learned from their experiences, their thoughts, their (well written) words. While we certainly wouldn't wish sadness upon them, we have benefited greatly from their experiences with it.

So while that darkness you're dealing with is heavy, debilitating, and awful, it is not permanent. No matter how hard it may be to believe this at times...

You were designed to be happy.


P.S. Recently, an article on the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying has been passed around in great frequency. I doubt any of these come as a shock to anyone. In fact, I'm sure most of us would agree and can see how they play a role in our lives now, regardless of what age or stage of life we're in. Look them over, think about your life right now and what you want to change. Because the truth is, none of us know when our time is up. There is never a better time to change your life than right this minute.

Image via TylerKnott

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