STEP #12 ON THE JOURNEY TO HAPPINESS ~ IT'S UP TO YOU!

Step #12 on the journey to happiness - ultimately you are responsible for creating your own happiness

WINDING UP

Well I'm coming to the end of the month and the end of my series on being happy again. Winding it down to the final conclusion I came to - and that is...... ultimately you can't expect life, or other people, or money, or "stuff", or events to make you happy. You have to find your happiness within yourself and from your own self worth. If you don't value who you are at heart, and you don't feel worthwhile, then you will never be truly happy.

All my life I looked to others for my sense of self - if they were happy, then I was happy. I think that's why I was a people pleaser and why I was always worrying. The trouble is that you can't please all of the people all of the time, and you can't stop life from happening in all it's grittiness by worrying and over-thinking.

50+ YEARS

I can't believe it took fifty years and a Series of Unfortunate Events for me to discover this! How could I have gone along for so long without realizing that I could create my own happiness and that being happy could be independent of external factors? 

Money can buy happiness to a certain degree, but there are a lot of very happy people out there who don't have much and yet they are joyful. Too often we think "if only...." or "one day when...." or some other proviso that will be the onset of our happiness. Now I know that money, and "what ifs" and "if onlys" are not what is important - no, what it all boils down to is "this is my life, this is my time, this is my responsibility - what am I doing about it?" And it is kind of nice to know I have that much say in things!

when you start moving forward and taking responsibility for your own happiness you will find yourself smiling again

YOU DECIDE

What makes you happy is a really personal thing and it does tie in with relationships, and celebrations and what you do to fill your day. You can't divorce yourself from all of these things, but you can decide that they won't dictate to you. A falling out in a relationship, a bad day at work, a gift that wasn't appreciated - these are all downers, but they shouldn't determine our core sense of happiness - because we shouldn't be depending on them.

The more I think about it, the more I appreciate the sheer freedom and joy in being separate from life's ups and downs. To be able to experience life and not be battered by it is a wonderful gift. The contentment and calmness that come from a life lived in quiet confidence is amazing. I refuse now to be sucked into other people's drama and to be influenced by situations that aren't of my choice or my making. 

IT'S UP TO ME TO CHOOSE

Miserable things happen, life sucks at times, happiness isn't a guarantee, there will be times of sadness and anger and irritation. But what I'm learning is that I can have some sense of calm within the storm if I separate myself from events I can't control. I can choose what I allow to influence me and I can choose how I respond. I feel a sense of inner peace now that was lacking before and (as it says in the picture above) "I'm finally smiling for me again" and that is what I would wish for everyone who reads this. May you find your inner "you", celebrate her, let her define you, and bring you happiness.

JUST A LAST NOTE

Part of taking responsibility for your own happiness can mean admitting you are so far off track that you have no idea how to find your way back to being content and at peace and happy within yourself. If you feel like you are mired in life's awfulness and can't find a way out, then maybe it's time to seek help from a professional - a counselor or a doctor. Sometimes therapy and medication are what we need to kick start the journey to happiness. I know it helped me at a particularly awful time to stop weeping and start living again.

11 QUOTES I FOUND HELPFUL

1 At somepoint you just have to let go of what you thought would happen and live in what is happening.

2 I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances. - Martha Washington

3 It is up to you and only you to create the life you want, and to live each day surrounded by that which brings you happiness

4 “People tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will descend like fine weather if you're fortunate. But happiness is the result of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert

5 If you're not careful your whole life could be “I’ll be happy when” - Rachel Wolchin

6 Being happy is a very personal thing and it has nothing to do with anyone else.

7 We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. - Carlos Castaneda

8 Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy.Your happiness will not come to you. It can only come from you. - Ralph Marston

9 The secret of being happy is accepting where you are in life and making the most out of every day.

10 Self-worth is so vital to your happiness. If you don't feel good about YOU, it's hard to feel good about anything else. - Mandy Hale.

11 Happiness is not a goal...it's a by-product of a life well lived. - Eleanor Roosevelt




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Cresting the Hill - a blog for Midlife (Middle Aged / 50+) women who want to thrive

Step #12 on the journey to happiness - ultimately you are responsible for creating your own happiness

26 comments

  1. I have always been a glass half full kinda girl. I have had very difficult times in my life but was always determined to not let them rob me of my happiness. I am fighting the biggest battle in my life right now, but still determined to not let it get the best of me. I have a lot of life yet to live and I want to live it in happiness. My favorite quote is "Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack."

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    1. Hi Renee - I hope you win your battle and come out leading those wolves with a victory dance!

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  2. "The Root of Suffering is Attachment" ~ Buddha
    Reading this made me think of this quote. Not easy and a lifelong journey. Thanks for this wonderful post Leanne. I love the quotes!
    https://meinthemiddlewrites.com/2016/07/29/me-in-the-middle-of-looking-back-flashback-2/

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    1. What a great quote Mary Lou - I love it and it is so true - over attachment will get us every time!

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  3. Well, you know, when the student is ready and all that! Everyone has their own schedule. Love the journey,
    Carol

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    1. Some of us get there quicker than others Carol - I was just a bit of a slow learner :)

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  4. I am a big believer in the power of affirmations so the 12 helpful quotes you shared were a great idea to me.

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    1. Thanks Janeane - I love a good quote - easy to remember and remind yourself of at times when you need a boost.

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  5. Being positive in life is the way to go, no matter what happens. I always project the happiest outcomes.

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    1. That is the best way to go Tam - it would certainly help you when you're out in the world visiting all those new countries!

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  6. Amen sister! Taking responsibility for your own happiness is something I learned late in life too! People pleaser...yep that's me. Love the quotes.

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    1. Thanks Laurie - it seems to be the "norm" for a lot of midlife women - at least we're waking up to ourselves and these years are turning out to be really good ones for me.

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  7. So very true, Leanne. This has been an excellent series. It took me a long time and some unfortunate events, just like you experienced, to force me to see that my happiness was up to me. Glad you are smiling again!

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    1. It often takes those Unfortunate Events to wake us up to ourselves Cathy - finding out that we have so much control over our happiness was an eye opener for me :)

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  8. So, so many things I need to learn here. Thank you :)

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    1. It's taken me a few years to get my head around it all Lizzi - but WHAT a difference it has made to my life!

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  9. I was much like you. If those around me were happy, so was I. But I think it's time now to think about myself!

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    1. I think so to Janie - if not now then when? Midlife is certainly time to start taking care of ourselves isn't it?

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  10. And coupled with happiness is attitude. As Chuck Swindol says (I think), life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you deal with it.

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    1. Attitude is everything Shelley - how we see our situation and how we choose to respond is often the difference between happiness and being a grump!

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  11. I love your quotes, and completely agree with the points you make in this post. We are responsible for our own happiness!
    Estelle

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    1. Thanks Estelle - I'm a bit of a Quote Queen at times - they sum up so succinctly what I often want to say.

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  12. We are ultimately responsible for everything in our lives, or at least how we react. I'm a positive person. It doesn't mean that I haven't lived through challenging times, but it does mean that I always assumed that I'd get through them. Thanks for sharing at the Blogger's Pit Stop.

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    1. I love positive people Debbie - it overflows on to others and it makes you a lot nicer to be around. I'd pick a positive person over a light sucker any day :)

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  13. I so agree with this. I'm not a positive person at all by nature, so I have to constantly work at it - but it's worth it. :)

    Thanks so much for sharing over at #FridayFrivolity!

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    1. The more you work at it, the more natural it becomes Jessica. Negativity is so easy to get sucked into and it drags us down (and everyone around us too) I'm so glad you're a work in progress x

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