Push Your Happiness Button

"It's as if everyone has a built-in, happiness-now button which can instantly change how they feel, no matter what's going on in their lives.  But for many, most of the time, they prefer not to push it."

I signed up to get these "Universe Notes" is what they're called from tut.com a while back.  They come in my email inbox every day and it's odd how fitting most of them are on the exact day I get them.  The above quote is the note I received a couple days ago.  Try it.  

Wherever your mind is right now, mentally "push your happiness button."  Do you feel anything?  Feel any lighter?  Happier?  More joyful?  

                                        

I did when I tried it the first time I read the quote.  I had been feeling a little stressed, like I "had" to get certain things done that day.  Then I got the email and read the quote.  I relaxed, and focused on my internal "happiness button."  

I instantly felt my mood lighten and the tension leave my body.  

Being happy is a conscious choice.  That's what the "happiness button" is all about.  At any given moment, each of us has the choice to be happy, or not.  Yes, even in the crappy moments.  Even when something is happening around us which we are not pleased with in the least, or feel totally out of control. 

Even then you can push your happiness button.

                                                    

I'm not saying it's easy.  Certainly I've been in some quite stressful or unhappy situations too.  

And no amount of "pushing your happy button" will make you like the crummy situation you're in or make you blissfully happy that you got fired from your job or your relationship ended. 

But what it is about is not letting external circumstances determine if you are happy or not.  Not letting other people's actions dictate your mood.  

Sure, they'll have an affect, most definitely.  But as with anything in life, it's your reaction that makes all the difference for YOU.

                                      

None of this is likely new to any of you.  But sometimes it's hearing something again, or in a different way, that keeps us on the right track.  That's what I like about the Universe Notes from tut.com.  They're little quips that remind me that life is a choice and they keep me on track.  That's my intent behind this blog as well.

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Side topic:  I wanted to share a little about how my self-induced, self-scheduled week is going, one day in.  

Yesterday I definitely felt a difference.  I was more productive than I'm sure I would have been otherwise.  It's funny how much you really can do when you write it out and see that you do, in fact, have the time. 

I had to remind myself periodically though, not to be stressed about the schedule.  I noticed, especially early in the day, that I felt a certain pressure to "keep on the schedule."  I gently reminded myself that that's not what it's about, and that I gave myself adequate time in the schedule to do what I planned, so I needn't worry.  

Once I got into the groove, though, I must say I enjoyed it!  

Before I would go about my days all willy-nilly.  If I went to the gym, I stayed as long as I wanted.  Knowing I could leave at any time, sometimes spurred me to leave early and not work out as long.  Because I could.

But yesterday I had my set "work out time" and I found it relaxing actually.  I didn't have to "decide" how long I'd stay.  I also continued the HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) type of work out that I learned in Liz DiAlto's book and I had a great work out!  I look forward to going on Wednesday! 

Another interesting thing happened in the middle of the night last night.  I had woken up to let one of my dogs out, about two a.m.  While awake in bed, an idea hit me for my next novel.  Just suddenly was clear in my head. 

This is coming after weeks of barely writing at all (except this blog), and feeling no inspiration whatsoever.  I didn't even have a topic in mind upon which to base my next novel around.  Nothing sounded appealing.  

I knew I wanted to get back to writing though.  I miss it.  And when I made my schedule for this week I wrote in several hours, on a few different days, as "writing time."  

I wasn't sure how this would go, seeing as how I didn't have a topic in mind or a novel even started.  But I was determined, at least, to sit down and start something.  I hoped that something would come to me. 

And lo and behold, the very night before my first day of scheduled writing time, I get the idea.  And it's not like the other "ideas" I've had that didn't excite me much, but I knew I could write about.  I'm excited about this one!  I can't wait to get started!  

Funny how that works.  Sometimes we need to make the time and space in our lives in order for something to come to us.          



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