Do we have it all too easy on the path to happiness?

Published: Fri, 04/22/16

Hi

Contentment, happiness, success and inner peace are all things we aim for.

Modern life does Its best to derail us all, yet how come some people seem to be happier than others?

Mazlo's hierarchy of needs is a great place to start, a human needs the following in priority order to survive and thrive:
 
We work up the pyramid as we meet our needs.

The most basic, yet necessary, for survival are the bottom, as we get these met we move up a notch.

An interesting fact is the more we are deficient in something the more we want it. Just as lack of food makes us hungry. Its nature pushing us to move forward.

Flipping if to the positive we can use this to drive us forward to that ultimate point at the top where we can be totally free to help and support others as we have reached true contentment ourselves. Trancendance.....Ommmmmmmm!

Glancing at the above pyramid, we do pretty well though don't we?

Modern life provides the survival needs so all we have to do is work through the rest!

One ironic result of this 'ease' of meeting needs could be that we MISS steps, obstacles and struggles that stretch us and build character?

Some of lowest points of my life spurred me headlong into the BEST things in my life (check out the 'my story' button below).

Do we acknowledge this though and have a grateful, always learning,  outlook on life at all times?

We are all perfectly imperfect so probably not.

A quote I love is:

'a man or woman is not truely happy until they can sit quietly in a room with just themselves for 30min'

Have you tried this recently? 

It's really hard! Our thoughts go everywhere!

Becoming aware of our thoughts, and defending against how damaging we can be to ourselves, when negativity remains unchecked is a powerful pattern interrupt.


Why are we not as uplifting and supportive to ourselves as we would a stranger we had just met that needed help?


What could we do to our self esteem if we could get to the point where we could process each thought we have with a totally impartial and open mind free of bias?

A massive change, as any health professional will tell you!

Here are some stops & starts that people we work with have come up with;

START:
  • - being grateful
  • - recognising stress as a guide to highlight that you are off your path
  • - living in the now
  • - use more positive language, externally and internallly
  • - become a fan of reality
  • - meditating/ time for daily mental space 
  • - ask why you thought a thought 
  • - banish 'shoulds' and add action instead
  • - smiling more

STOP:
  • - judging others 
  • - believing our own story in our heads
  • - negative self talk
  • - being impatient
  • - blaming 
  • - jealousy

Of course we need that drive, passion and competitiveness that is part of being human, however stopping from time to time to be kind to yourself can keep a smile going for that whole day!

Do we really need to take everything and ourselves so seriously?

What could we be if we got out of our own way?

J

James Chandler
Personal Trainer
07870 262741
www.eatwellandworkout.com

'To inspire, educate and support our clients on their journey to better health'