Have you ever wondered if life is too short to be unhappy? What is important per person in their life? Perhaps how fast time flies by? Does it seem like things are “speeding” up? Not enough hours in the day? Here are ten things I would like to share under the concept that life is too short to be unhappy.
1. Life Is Too Short To Be Unhappy. Forgive!
Don’t forget, but forgive. It will set you free. I couldn’t understand that more deeply than in 2015. People (who usually will give you reasons to/not to forgive) will always act like that. You cannot control it. You can control if this will affect you. See what it affects inside you, laugh at it and forgive. You don’t forgive the person. You forgive their lack of knowledge and what a person thinks of themselves.
Positive outcome 1: Three words: Peace Of Mind! Plus, you earn back time for yourself and your dreams. As long as you discuss the behaviors of others inside your head, you know what happens: You Lose! People will always “surprise” you—often in an ugly way.
Positive outcome 2: Forgive yourself!!! Do not place the massive amount of that guilt weight upon your mind and your heart! You did as much as you could cope with or understand. That was great! Give yourself applause! Then, sit with a piece of paper and note down what you would like to change from all the things that didn’t work and what you would like to achieve.
What. Ever. You. Want… It is your freaking life. Do not allow others to dictate it. You cannot stop them from trying, but you can filter them out.
Forgiving yourself will raise a shield against any malicious “wants” of others. I cannot stretch that more.
If you don’t forgive yourself, your life will get shorter. Change it. It is in your head! If you learn how not to make the same mistakes again, you will eventually have fewer things to forgive.
But, please, enough with the guilt when you suffer for things you couldn’t understand how else to do them.
2. Fears are Just Thoughts, So Live a Happy Life
That has become more than true this year. My mind had to confront tenths of issues this year. All were tangible. All needed action! Another 30-40.000 things were thoughts and fears that never happened. Please read that again: They Never Happened! So, the time I wasted on worries and beliefs was a lot.
A recipe for dealing with such? Locate your fear/thought. Break it down into its parts, like going a food recipe backward. See the fear as one object, then see the elements of that object. Then look closely at each of the individual things. See what the catalyst that combined all these thoughts into one fearful thought, or many, was. “look” at them in your mind as individual objects.
Well…? Were they accurate as one big concrete thing, or maybe they were not? Are they still there? Repeat. Learn.
However, in the face of a fearful thought, you must act. You must act in an actual situation, whether it has to do with your present or future dreams.
Just act. Think of this: No matter how much planning you do, things will evolve only if you work. Without action, there is no motion in situations or thoughts. Thoughts without action keep you in the same place.
Yes, Paolo Coehlo said, “if you wish it too much, etc., the universe, etc.,” and he was partially correct. Yet, you and you alone have to make the step and make the freaking trip. You have to act.
Just think and act! Set things in motion. Just plan up to the level of your understanding, then act.
3. The Issue With Faith
Put your heart in and believe. Life is too short to be unhappy and not have faith in you. Either way, you have no clue.
I have no freaking idea what faith is precise. However, I do know that somehow it works. Perhaps the mind disrupts the messy, dual thinking, and you see clearly. Perhaps “Paolo” is on something, maybe… who has any idea about what Faith is?
The feeling you get in your heart plays a huge role. If you don’t feel it, if an emotion is not entangled with what you want, it will take lots of time to succeed. Seek and implement a creative emotion into the mixture. Put your heart in it like your life depends on it.
Just set it in your mind and believe it. And act. If you knew another way to do it right, you would have done it already! Right?
4. Accept that People Will Disappoint You
Bad news for your compadre! That is not right (however, you can always refer to point 5). You have your “wants” and your “dislikes.” Each person has their agenda. It doesn’t mean that yours and theirs will be “forever and ever and happily ever after.”
People (you too) will act according to their likes and dislikes. That is, according to their understanding of their role in life and a community.
People will try to “earn” or get something from you. Many times when they think they are helping you. Other times, they “don’t ask” for something but will ask for recognition, money, approval, or even disapproval.
When you realize that, reflect on point 1 and do not worry. Do not be hostile, either. When you realize this is how people are, you will manage to keep a distance by being whole simultaneously instead of becoming an a-hole.
5. Finding the Right Companion in Life is Gold
Beware, here is the secret: 1 and 1 make 3 (duh!).
Not many ponder on this. Give it a minute. It is everywhere. Any number of things when they get together they create a different entity. When they merge or get connected, two things produce the 3rd thing. A sum of things is not the sum of things but has an additional result.
When they align and target something (whatever that is), two people create a new entity. Thus, 1 and 1 equals 3. It is essential for good or bad.
6. Carpe Diem: Seize the Day and Other Myths
Doing that without a single thought or consideration will get you into trouble, most of the time. Plan, see what you need to take care of, or secure and act.
For example, many articles about traveling say things like, “Go get it, drop everything (job, etc.), and just travel.” Most of them are written by people who have someone who usually provides them with money—their family. That is cool if you have a “backup plan” and someone to feed you with cash.
So, “just travel” at the expense of others teaches you nothing. Most of the time, it enhances your lack of responsibility. Of course, until the point where “life” itself drops in and teaches you a lesson or two (if you are lucky).
This is valid for all kinds of things. Many people love to live at the expense of others, and most of the time, their level of “gratitude” for having this luck is zero.
7. Be a Sincere Service to Others
Unless you are ten years old, you may have already found that. When you do something for someone else, you get something for yourself. Be sincere and polite. That will get you anywhere 95% of the time. Be useful but do not be submissive. Enjoy helping others. Do one good thing every day from which you have nothing to gain and forget that you did it.
Yet, be sincere and helpful but don’t be a fool. When your gut tells you that someone wants to cultivate your ego to get something from you at your expense, say no unless you are OK to be like that. Say no and forget.
Yet, do not forget what else was mentioned here. People have their agenda. They do not necessarily think or know what something “costs” to you. They will ask. You can do the same too. It is not wrong to ask. Not asking gets you nothing.
Acknowledge this to deal with situations, and use your intuition to understand what you are willing to do. Always do what you are only willing to do.
If something doesn’t work out for you, refer to point 1, move on and forget.
8. Get Organized. Life is Too Short to be Unhappy or Waste Time
This is one thing I still deal with. I tend to emphasize doing “creative things” than “mundane things.” Guess what. The mundane ones are the ones that will turn around and bite you (you know where). If you don’t want to deal with what you call ordinary, delegate it (if you have the resources) or deal with it.
After all, whatever is pending is stealing time and energy through the thoughts in your head as it keeps coming back again and again until it is put in its proper place.
Many call that procrastination, but many times it is an issue carried on the chariot of fear. If you are afraid of it, turn around and confront it. To deal with it, see point 2.
9. Make Being Physically Healthy Your Priority
Exercise your mind (you know a video game can additionally do that when applied reasonably), and exercise your body. Find a way you like and set you out of your comfort zone.
For example, I like hiking, swimming, and lots of activities in nature (as you can see in this blog), and for a few years, I practiced Ashtanga Yoga. Oh, the abundance of things I learned about my body and mind by doing that. Something that I overlooked in a gym by lifting weights.
Yoga may seem like something “static,” but it is not. I was happy to find out much more benefits. For example, it appeared to influence the way I hiked positively. My body was more flexible, and I felt much better. I have forgotten that feeling and flexibility since the days I practiced Aikido. You can choose whatever you like, but exercise. Recently I started doing Crossfit.
What is “more” on your body often relates to something you need to understand and get over.
Our way of life is heavily bombarded by “conveniences” that seem to ease our way of living but -trust me- we are not meant to take the shape of a chair, and our eyes are not meant to be like a square screen.
We need to move. Hopefully, all people will find or aim to find the time to move more, and their activities align with things to do in nature. Not just as a hobby but to find occupations that relate to nature.
We are not meant to get fat inside cement blocks, especially in Greece, where nature is screaming all around to visit her.
Exercise means different things to different people. Some like yoga retreats, others prefer soft hiking or something else.
10. Be a Smart Introvert but Don’t Isolate From Society
While I respect the need of a person to isolate their existence from society, I -so far- believe that this is an issue a person needs to observe and cure. I do not think it is healthy in the long run.
Someone has all the time to isolate when they relocate to six-foot-under perfectly.
I observed many examples from people to have claimed that they cannot stand society or that they cannot stand “how people are.” Still, when I look closer, I see that these very same persons make a living due to other people who remain in “that” society, which means that without the existence or contribution of other people, they would not be able to survive.
As persons, we need to understand how each action of ours influences the whole and, at the same time, how our actions affect us directly. I find that isolation is good for meditation, but that’s that only.
Yes, every day, it is proven to me that we are all connected (buzzword, right?), and at any point or level, we can see that we can make steps towards a more meaningful (usually it means: without conflicts) way of living.
Conclusion on Life is too Short To Be Unhappy
Well, each one may draw their conclusions or food for thought. I just wanted to share my thoughts.
However, if I had to choose one essential thing, that would be to forgive yourself.
Who knows, you may end up loving more people that way. There are researches that show that Americans become unhappy as time passes by.
Have a great year ahead!
If you feel inspired by this article, kindly share it. Also, read Top 8 Benefits of 10 Minute Meditation Every Day.
Great list! Number one is definitely important. Happy New Year adventure people!
We totally agree! Happy New Year to you too!