I didn’t manage to post in
November as I wasn’t sure I had anything that interesting to say but you guys
have read my nonsense so far and recent events have made me feel compelled to
write about the simple term ‘happiness'.
This year has seen me struggling
with finding my place in the job market and figuring out where my talents lie.
This has caused much confusion and periods of unhappiness. I think these knocks
allowed me to figure out where my own happiness lies.
I went to see the theatre
production of Wicked on Monday night and I thought it was incredible! One of
the lyrics that stood out for me (despite the obvious defying gravity) was
those within the song Thank Goodness: “Happy is what happens when all your
dreams come true”. I agree with this to some extent
as when you achieve your dreams you have reached where you always wanted to be but
I think that happiness needs to stop being a single destination and people
should allow themselves to feel happy and not to feel guilty for have periods
of darkness.
This time of year is when people
are supposed to be thinking of what they have enjoyed in the last year and what
they could do differently in the New Year. It is also when families are
supposed to come together and are expected to have a wonderfully happy time.
Again depending on peoples’ circumstances they should not be forced to feel a
certain way solely because of the time of year. I have some friends who are
grieving and are going to have to face the holidays without a member of their
family, friends who are going through break ups and cannot celebrate the
holidays with the person they expected to be with forever and others who are
away travelling and are going to experience a different holiday experience all
together.
For these reasons I want people
to appreciate each moment of happiness they feel. Whether it be laughing at a
TV show, spending time with your friends or just doing something that you love.
This weekend I went to a gig in Dundee as I have not been for years and I
almost didn’t go as I felt like I would be pestering the few people I knew
would be there. But I went and really enjoyed it and realised how much I miss
watching local bands and I shouldn’t let tackling things on my own impact my
happiness.
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| Copyright: http://robincoyle.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/wise-words-about-being-happy-from-john-lennon/ |
On the opposite side of this is
depression and I would like to take this moment to highlight the importance of
minimising stigma associated with depression. The dark nights can make anyone
feel a bit down but for those suffering from mental illness this can be a very
tough time. For anyone that suffers from depression please speak to someone
about it as this is the first step in dealing with the illness. For those supporting
someone with depression then the main thing you can do is be there for them
when they want to talk. Happiness may not necessarily be the final destination
for someone suffering from mental illness but just getting out of bed, going to
work or not feeling like a burden can all be a step forward. If they do not
want to talk about it then please encourage them to visit sites such as http://www.mind.org.uk/ to offer help. This
is a topic that is close to home for me as people close to me are suffering and
if this first step of talking about it does not happen then things can become
very difficult!
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| Copyright: http://quoteeveryday.com/happiness-quotes-pinterest/ |
On the other end of the scale I
have a family member who is bed bound through illness and cannot move much of
her body but she is truly the happiest person I have ever had the pleasure of
meeting. She has no idea but I honestly consider her as an inspiration. She
cannot do many of the things that people take for granted on a day to day basis
but she appreciates every aspect of life. One of her favourite things to do is
to watch the red squirrels outside of her bedroom window. How many of us with
the pressures of daily life and 24 hour access to social media can say they
would be 100% content watching nature from their window? I can say that I
appreciate it but she has taught me that it is the little things that are most
important and despite what Wicked says I don’t think huge dreams need to be
achieved in order to be happy!
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Copyright: http://www.funlava.com/happiness-quotes/ |
Rather than saying if I had this
or this hadn’t happened then I could be happy. It’s about taking the good with
the bad and appreciating the moments that gave you happiness especially those
that were provided by people who are no longer with us.
- Laura xox
