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The Little Joys Of Living:
Finding Unusual Happiness In The Most Ordinary Ways
Being down in the dumps is probably the most “normal” forgettable
experience you can ever imagine. The reasons hardly matter, a break-up,
a clash with a co-worker, forced resignation from work, obesity, poverty
or something as universal as a rainy Sunday afternoon without cable
television. For some, being unhappy can just be a mere phase, for others
it’s a suicidal attempt waiting to be broadcasted. But yes, being
depressed is something you can get over with, even if you don’t
sit down at coffee sessions with a shrink. My suggestion? Try looking
at life in a different shade, don’t take it too seriously…here’s
how…
Step 1. LAUGH, not at others and their mistakes, but for a change,
laugh out loud at the misfortunes that are uniquely your very own!
People who take themselves too seriously end up often dissatisfied with
the slightest mishaps. I’m not saying you should go ahead and
settle for the bottom of mediocrity, but perhaps its not so bad to let
loose sometimes, to appreciate the wonderful assurance that humans are
in fact allowed to make mistakes. So indulge in your shortcomings, often
they’re meant to happen. You are meant to learn from them. Be
the butt of the teasing every now and then, and while you’re at
it, don’t forget to laugh along!
Step 2. Watch the children play…better yet, JOIN IN!
Remember those days when all you worried about was homework and that
cookie jar you accidentally broke? Remember those days when every bruise
and cut went away with an ice cream cone or a trip to the candy store?
It’s not too late to be a little child again… to find that
innocence deep within the graying hair and wrinkled skin. When I watch
kids at a playground, I am reminded of a simpler time, when life was
uncomplicated and free-spirited. Call it a state of regression, but
such memories can be all the while therapeutic. Think of life as a playground,
take turns at the see-saw and the swing…because in life there
are periods of up’s and down’s. Just because you feel depressed
doesn’t mean it’s the end, you just have to wait your “turn”.
Didn’t they teach you that at pre-school??
Step 3. Countdown to your Top Ten Feel-Good-Things
Make a list of the things that have never failed to lift you off the
doom. It can be very simple things such as a hot cup of feel-good coffee,
your mom’s feel-good chocolate cake, your favorite feel-good pajamas
or a phone call from your best friend! Once you’ve finished making
the list, you’ll realize you already feel way better just thinking
about these feel-good things! Counting these uplifting gifts makes you
aware of how much you still have, as opposed to the few things still
out of reach for the moment.
You can also list down your “top ten achievements of all time”
(if you recently experienced a failure at work or in any other endeavor).
It will make you aware of the other strengths that you have. If you
are experiencing a sudden gush of low self-esteem, try listing the things
you can do that others cannot, or the things you have that others don’t.
(My flat-chested friend always brags about her gorgeous butt).
Life is unfair, but it compensates. You may be deficient in one area,
but you can always make up for it in another. So what if your sister
cooks pasta like an iron chef? You can always beat her at badminton
you know… don’t get pissed off, get even!
Step 4. Listen to the misery of others.
I don’t mean to sound cruel and unfeeling, but try to focus on
others and their problems instead of wallowing at your own. Sometimes
you will realize that most of your “complicated issues”
mean nothing compared to the problem faced by others. You don’t
have to say this out loud of course, unless you think that person needs
an extra amount of misery. While listening to others, there will always
be someone whose troubles will be worse than yours. I’m 99% sure
of that. A word of warning though, don’t be all smug and smiling
about it (even if you were the devil’s apprentice), the lesson
here is to value what you still have that others lack. Be thankful that
you seem to be better off than “that poor guy” or that “unfortunate
girl”…and for a moment appreciate what “little problems”
you have.
So the next time you feel like cursing everything within a 5-mile radius,
STOP. Breathe. Repeat steps 1 to 4.
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