It has to come from within to be able to truly feel it. This is something I have got to learn earlier in life. Maybe it is because I spend more time with myself than others or... maybe it is just life experiences that brought that understanding. Whichever it was, I appreciate it, because with it, I know I don't have to fake something as natural as that. Yes! Happiness.
Being happy doesn't have to do with laughing hysterically if the inside is burned out with shattered tears and sadness. There's the light being truly happy brings to our life. How it lightens up our skin and enhances our beauty. It is awesome to see and feel it. This is why I always endeavor to start my day with being happy. Though I have to confess it isn't easy, especially with mood changes that one can wake up with but still, I make sure I truly feel it and not lie through my teeth.
Just as Henry Van Dyke as stated;
Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.
There are ways I have found that do work for me whenever I am bothered by something and my heart is unstable. When I am woken to the mood that makes my happiness nonexistent, I practice these steps to achieve happiness and stabilize my mood.
Calmness.
The first thing I always go for is music. It calms me and when I am calm, my nerves which were once tightened relieves me and a breath of relief comes forth and that is the beginning.
This is why I don't just have songs on my phone. Each music on my device has it work and just as we know that the power of music's effect on us can't be said in words but can only be felt and that's what I do. Taking a deep breath, I feel the soft rhythm, understand the lyrics, imagine myself in a peaceful place and let the voice of the singer finish the job.
Pause.
When the heart and mind becomes calm, it makes it easier to be able to see and feel those beautiful things around us. And this is when meditation sets in with my app on to listen. I let the voice of the speaker transport me to the world I am most familiar with. Then, I let the relaxation set in clearing my mind of any worries and elevating my mood while at it.
Familiar world.
The world I am most familiar with is at the tip of nature. The fresh undiluted air, the greenery around me...the life that surrounds me. It fills me up like filling up an empty hot jar with cool fresh water that gently soothes it. And then the sound drops "Hmmm…" like I finally got to scratch my back after years of trying to get to it.
...and then, the smile sets in. From within, it comes. The satisfaction. The pleasure. The beauty of nature. Finding myself in its midst while the weather is a bit cloudy and the wind blows swiftly like I am Qing on a throne. Just that alone is enough to bring out the girlish giggle and as my lips curve slightly in a bit of giggle, the happiness spreads around like I have been injected with the right dose of medication. It purifies my body and soul and gets me wrapped around its fingers like a kid on sugar.
Doing these isn't just a practice because they have become a habit that I subconsciously do when I feel down or demotivated about something life has thrown my way. Being happy is always the goal. I know life is filled with unexpected happenings, which is why I appreciate and love everything being happy gives.
Also, singing and dancing works like a spell has been cast on me. For me, when I move my body, it releases tension from my body and ignites a spark from deep within, and before a blink of an eye, happiness just sets in.
Cooking and cleaning too are one of the daily activities that create space for my happiness in me. You know, I get to taste something good and also inhale the fresh air of the freshness of a clean environment.
This is my response to the #Kiss prompt from Minimalist Community on how one achieve happiness and stabilize one's mood.
Image used is mine, screenshot from my phone app, and Enya music from #YouTube.
Still yours truly,
Balikis.
Thanks for reading and listening.
Peace be unto those who crave it and more to those who chase it away.