All of us want to experience happiness but only a handful experience meaningful happiness. We live in a society where we are constantly being distracted with materialistic possessions and society’s standard of living. We become so distracted that we lose a sense of self. We start modeling what we see in the media and the way celebrities are living their life that we forget about our own life. The more you surround yourself with the media, the more you will be influenced to change your life based upon what you see. Let’s say you sit down one evening and start watching your favorite reality show. This becomes an evening routine of watching your favorite show. Subconsciously you will start mimicking what you see in the show in your daily life. The way the people in the show act, will be how you act. The way they handle their relationships with others will become a similar way of how you handle your relationships. Little do you know, you start putting the media in charge of designing your life. You start dressing, acting, and behaving just like your favorite stars. The more you surround yourself with the media and society’s standard of living the further away you are from experiencing meaningful happiness.
What is meaningful happiness?
Let’s start off with meaning. What in your life is meaningful to you? Is it your family, generating income, being part of a community or maybe going out with friends? Take a moment to reflect upon what is meaningful in your life. It’s amazing how so many people never really take the time to answer this question. People just continue living their lives, being preoccupied with what’s going on facebook, the latest gossip on television and getting stuck into a rut. If you are serious about experiencing meaningful happiness in your life, you MUST take the time to answer the question above. If you don’t you will continue finding superficial happiness from things and objects that will ultimately leave you empty.
Meaningful happiness all starts WITHIN you. For you to experience happiness, you MUST be clear with your vision in life. You MUST know your values and live in alignment with these values on a daily basis. Meaningful happiness is a choice that we can either be committed to or allow life to design our happiness.
“You are the designer of your life. Be selective with the tools that you use or else you’ll end up with a messy portrait” -Tiffany Mason
In order for you to experience meaningful happiness, you MUST be selective with what you allow in your life and what you will walk away from. There is so much noise and temptations out there in this world, we can easily become influenced by the wrong source of energy. If we allow negative energy to come into our life, who will eventually become a source of negative energy. Who wants to live this way? I believe that you want to live a meaningful life and experience meaningful happiness. This type of happiness is your decision to make. You select what happiness means in your life. Does happiness come from materialistic possessions or the intangible aspects of life such as love, appreciation, warmth, kindness, and peace.
It seems like our society focuses on materialistic possessions. We will experience happiness if we buy this new make-up product or buy this beautiful flat screen television. Yet we fail to realize that this is only temporary. Eventually we will want more materialistic possessions to fill the emptiness within us. We fuel our happiness by buying “stuff”. Yet when we run out of fuel, we buy even more “stuff”. This cycle of filling up our fuel of happiness with “stuff” will eventually wear us out. We will eventually get to a point where we are on overload. What happens when you keep filling up the tank of your car? It starts overflowing. This type of happens will eventually control your life. This overflow of stuff will push you further and further away from experiencing meaningful happiness. Why? Because meaningful happiness does not come from “stuff”. It comes from within. It’s about character building and developing your mind, body and soul. It’s about investing in your personal development and living life in alignment with your deepest values and beliefs. This is meaningful happiness.
How can I start experiencing meaningful happiness?
Meaningful happiness all starts with your philosophy. The way you view yourself and your life. Your philosophy determines the direction of your life and ultimately the journey you experience. I started learning about personal development at the age of 19. The first aspect of personal development that I learned was your personal philosophy. Your philosophy can either unleash your fullest potential or hold you back from ever starting. What you feed your mind can either nurture your potential or poison your life. Feed your mind with what truly is meaningful your life. Whether it be kindness, love or peace. Surround yourself with what is meaningful to you. If peace is important in your life, take the time throughout the week to meditate or be with nature. Whatever gives you peace, experience that on a frequent happiness. Focus on feeding your philosophy with what truly is meaningful to you. Block off things or people that will poison your philosophy.
Start Designing!
-Take this evening to reflect on your life-Evaluate and determine what type of happiness you are currently experiencing. Does your happiness come from “stuff’ or does it come from within?-If you answered, “stuff” Why? Why do you feel the need to fill up your tank with materialistic possessions? Has it gotten you very far? I have a feeling that it has actually hurt you rather than help you.-Write down on a piece of paper of what is truly meaningful in your life. This may be your family, contributing to your community or experiencing peace.-Once you find out what is meaningful to you, how can you live in alignment with what is meaningful? Maybe it’s going to work early and leaving early so you can spend quality time with you family in the evenings. Maybe it’s volunteering at your local animal shelter if animals are meaningful to you. Whatever you write down, make it a HABIT of living in alignment with what is meaningful to you. When you become consistent with this, you will start to experience meaningful happiness in your life!
“What does happiness mean to you?”
Tiffany Mason
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