SPIRIT: BEING HAPPY IN THE VALLEY
How many times have you heard someone say “I will be happy when I get this new job” or “Everything will be fine once we get married” or “As soon as I finish this book things are going to change” we all have a personal statement that we can make like this. Today, I want to talk about being happy in the “valley” of life.
Obviously, we all love to hear the stories of successful people like Oprah or Bill Gates, because they have arrived. However, I think it would have been far more interesting to have heard their stories while they were in the valley, in the daily grind on their way to the top. It is very easy to be happy on the mountain top but what do we do in the valley? How do life’s hurdles and hiccups effect our day to day happiness? How many people have jumped ship on their dreams for a quick fix of happiness?
These are thoughts I think about daily. I have really big dreams for my life that I am actively pursuing. Sometimes it is hard to stay motivated and be happy day to day when I don’t see results. But, it is so crucial that I remain positive and happy to achieve success. I have had a number of very big valleys and low points in my life, so hear are some suggestions on how to remain happy despite your circumstances or not having arrived at your goal:
1 “Leave everything on the field” I love this saying, because what it means is that you are not saving anything for later you are going to give it your all right now. This is crucial to being happy in the valley because sometimes that is all you have. Knowing that every day despite what the circumstances are you gave it your all is something to be joyous about.
2 “Do something for you” Most of the time when you are in the grind pursuing your dreams and dealing with day to day chaos you often forget about yourself. Often we use food to reward ourselves which is not always good. Daily you need to take one hour of your time and do something solely for the benefit of you. Whether you love to read, workout, listen to music you need to make time to do something DAILY that is just for you. This will help you take your mind off of life and just be in the moment.
3 “Give back” The best thing you can do while you are in the valley is help someone else out while they are in theirs. When you give back it takes your mind off your own issues for a moment and puts them toward someone else. It shows us that we are not the only ones that go through things and there are others out there struggling too. Do something on your own, whether it is randomly giving a friend or relative money, spending time with a senior citizen or volunteering to coach youth, whatever you do it will make an impact on your happiness for the good.
4 “Understand it’s the day to day choices” For a while I viewed success as a big miraculous thing that just randomly selected individuals at whim and then “Tadaa” they had everything they ever dreamed for. Well it doesn’t exactly work like that. Success and realizing your dreams is all about the little choices you make day to day the get you steps closer to the goal. When I began to understand this concept I felt relieved and happy. I knew that if I decided to eat the oatmeal instead of the donut that I would be closer to being fit, I knew that if I turned off the TV for an hour and used that time to write and brain storm I would be steps closer to building my brand and so on and so fourth. Knowing this every day helps your happiness because it takes your really big dream and breaks it down into day to day basic decisions.
I really hope that these tips show you how to be happy on the way to mountain top. Rox on!
Paparoxi | tagged Life, changing your life, happiness, healthy lifestyle, spirit 
Reader Comments (2)
I was just thinking of this today! We must be on similar planes. I am in the midst of a valley....I have a lot of plates wobbling atop my head and trying to balance has been a daunting process. Despite the drama, I am learning to smile my way through the balancing act. Just when I think my life is taking a turn to the worse, God reminds me that it could be a lot worse. Usually, that reminder is all I need to jolt me back into reality. Today, my heart is heavy for a good friend of mine who recently loss her father (he was tragically killed). All of my complaints, anxiety, and woes just seem so trivial in comparison to what she is going through right now. Through it all, she is still smiling, working toward her goals, writing her dissertation, etc...she is truly an inspiration and an example of being "happy in the valley" (relatively speaking of course).
That is a great outlook to have Linda! You are so right though we are always so focused on what is happening to us that we forget that things could be worse and God always bring us back to reality. Thanks for the continued support! Continue to smile in the valley so you can shout on the mountain top.