In December, we realize a whole year has passed. Many of us sit down and take some time to think about deeds and wishes. Those of you who have not taken the time should do it. It is important to go over what we did, what we wanted to do, what we needed to do and what we never did.
When you sit down and allow this time to think, you can take a piece of paper and make a list. Split the paper in three columns. One title ‘what I did’, the other ‘what I needed to do’ and the last ‘what I wanted to do, but never did’.
Start filling in the columns. It will help you sum up all that happened in 2016.
It will make it clear how much of what makes you happy you have done. It will show you the things that you simply had to do, but didn’t really care about. Putting it on paper is putting it in perspective.
What direction did your life take in 2016?
How much time did you spend on the things you love?
How often did you smile?
Did you travel to new places?
Did you meet new people?
How much time did you spend with people who make you truly happy?
Did you lose someone? What did you learn from that loss?
Did you love someone? What did you learn from that love?
We can keep asking probably hundreds of questions. Often though people don’t ask even one. We have to ask ourselves because we are the sole creators of our happiness. We can create, guard and preserve our happiness. Things don’t always happen the way we want them to, but we have to work with what life throws at us.
We can’t expect damage free services all the time. Machines break down, electricity goes out, tires blow, pot holes crack the road, internet stops, communication stops, eyes close, hearts stop, words hurt, smiles offend.
Shit happens. But we have to go on.
Birds keep chirping, sun keeps shining, the spring always comes. Life goes on. You just need to do more of what makes you happy.
Don’t squander you time. Don’t rush, but don’t stall either. Just keep going. Work on that list. Work to eliminate the column ‘the things I wanted to do, but never did’. Make a new column, name it ‘what makes me happy’. In 2017, start working on this column most of everything else. You will still have a must do column. We all do. But the real satisfaction, the pure happiness comes from the things we put in the last column – ‘what makes me happy’.
MARRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017!
STAY HEALTHY, BE HAPPY!
