Best of You

“I’ve got another confession my friend, I’m no fool. I’m getting tired of starting again somewhere new.”*

How often have I heard or seen someone tired of starting again? How many times have I heard of a friend unhappy in a relationship or lack thereof?

In a world where we rely on technology and people to show us how to live our lives, is it any wonder so many are unhappy? We turn and look at the person next to us, comparing what they have with what we’ve got, and then we turn and look at our smartphone to see what the world has that we do not.

We bury ourselves in things that should make us happy based on others’ thoughts, but does it really? Is that new outfit going to fulfill your heart? Is that late night going to make up for a bad day or just make you temporarily forget? What happens when you wake up and still feel the same?

The truth is that we turn so much that we forget to look straight ahead in a mirror. We forget to look at ourselves. What makes us happy, what gives us enjoyment, what motivates us. The fact is, it isn’t a ‘what’ but a ‘who’. We are our worst enemy and yet we forget that we are our best friend as well. By looking at ourselves in the mirror, perhaps one of those times, we can see who really matters and really see the only person who can change our lives and make us happy.

Every day is filled with choices. Some people have more choices than others, but there are still choices nonetheless. But, you see, there’s another question that bothers me even more.

“Is someone getting the best of you?”*

I think this goes beyond making our own happiness, because in so many instances we choose to make ourselves unhappy. We choose a path that leads somewhere we feel more certain about, rather than leaving the path and going on our own into an adventure. Perhaps some people are not naturally adventurous, but why do we consistently choose a path that we already know doesn’t make us happy? Maybe we aren’t unhappy, but true happiness, not a life of complaining and daydreaming of something else, is what we really wish for. Has happiness really become so unbelievable for some people that they would rather wake up ‘okay’ each day? Isn’t there more to this short life on earth?

So this is for all of my friends who are searching and losing and who are frustrated and feel unloved. This is for you, who think it’s ‘good enough’. I’m here to tell you that it isn’t and it isn’t working. Look in the mirror. You are beautiful. You are unique. You. Only you.

Only you can know your heart. Only you can know your happiness. Only you can know what is the best of you.

The best of you. That part of you that gives someone a light in their eye, that shines from you when you walk into a room, that makes others want to know, ‘What makes that person so different?’ The best of you.

Only you know what that is and only you can give the best of you away. If someone does have the best of you, then hold onto that thought and let it fill you with happiness. Don’t take it for granted. If not, then you’ve answered your long list of questions. Go and be you. No one else can. There is only one of you.

So I will ask again:

“Is someone getting the best of you?”*

 

 

 

 

*Lyrics by Foo Fighters

 

Being Happy: Part 2

Previously on my blog I mentioned a little about my attitude in life and how I love being happy. There are days, however, when I just don’t want to get out of bed. I’m sure we all experience these times. It could be because of sickness or being overworked or just because. Regardless, I have my dark days as well. They don’t number as high as my happy days, but I do see them occasionally increase as I step out of my bubble and see more of the world.

There are times when something bad happens and you feel there is no light at the end of the tunnel, no hope on the horizon, but it is these darkest days that we can shine more brightly. There was time when I just felt hopeless and didn’t know what to do or what was expected of me. I didn’t feel like going to work. I didn’t feel like writing. I didn’t even want a cup of coffee. Even now, writing about this is difficult.

I experienced a touch of anxiety, which I didn’t even know about. I eventually got out of this depressive state and was happy when I did, but the point is that no matter how happy I am or may seem to be, I can still have days where I just don’t feel good.

This may be obvious to many people. ‘Duh! We all have bad days!’ Let me clarify. Hardly anyone ever sees my ‘bad’ days. Why? I honestly don’t know.

Perhaps my own expectations of myself are too high. This happens quite often, though. Many people would rather hold everything in or only feel ‘true’ when they are alone, but it shouldn’t be like this. We should accept that everyone cannot always be the way they are on an average day. We need to see everyone’s high and low and still be there.

Is that true friendship? Maybe. Is that healthy? Probably. Is it needed? Definitely.

 

 

Being Happy: Part 1

A lot of people want to know how I ‘tick’. Why I am the way I am. I am a naturally joyful person with an optimistic outlook on life. In fact, this comic strip typically sums up what people think about me and how I think in general:

Peanuts Comic

I love smiling and being happy and this makes people question my behavior. I find it disheartening sometimes that they do not believe that one person can hold so much happiness, but I believe sharing and showing this natural state of ‘being happy’ helps people who struggle with finding happiness on a day-to-day basis. I feel that if I were down, then I would want to be around someone who was joyous, because I would want to pretend that it is contagious and proximity would give me better chances of catching that person’s happiness.

Happiness is perhaps not a choice for some people, but I like to believe that it is a lifestyle. It’s not always easy being happy and upbeat when such tragic things occur around the world, but I feel like, even with such horrible things, it is still better to live feeling happy than to sit down and be dismal.

Maybe, one day, my funeral will consist of a dance party…

Perhaps all of this is wishful thinking or downright false, but believing is always better, in my mind, than giving up. After all, perhaps happiness is contagious.