"A good heart is worth gold."
- William Shakespeare
Think about a few people you know who you feel live a happy life. They may not be well off, but they have enough. They seem to walk around with a smile on their face even when the sky is grey. They don't get angry when someone cuts them off in traffic or play the "why me" card when things don't go their way. They are simply happy to be alive and content with their lot in life. Do these happy people ever make you wonder how they are able to choose happiness even when life throws them a few setbacks or roadblocks?
One thing I noticed about the happiest people I know is they live by The Golden Rule. They do not have any enemies or wish harm on others. They don't go around being all grumpy and complaining about anything and everything to anyone who will listen. Happy people don't sweat the small stuff. They rise above it. They do not subscribe to stinkin' thinkin'. They go about their day and make the most out of every situation. I'm not implying that happy people don't have bad days or throw mini self-pity parties every now and then. They are still human. I believe the one thing they all have in common is a big and genuine heart.
Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash
I believe happiness comes from the heart. For me, it comes down to love. I don't think it's a coincidence that the universal symbol for love is a heart. Our hearts guide us to do the right thing. They show compassion and understanding. When we are coming from a place of love, it's difficult to be in a negative place. On the contrary, our heads sometimes get in the way of our hearts. Our minds like to conjure up ill will and find reasons to be upset about whatever is bothering us. Our hearts don't do that. Once I started tapping into my heart more often through practices like mindfulness, yoga and meditation, I started becoming more happy with my life. I'm choosing my heart over my head much more often.
I have learned how happiness comes with a lot of acceptance and being grateful for all of the good in my life. When I'm thinking from my heart instead of my head I am able to express more compassion toward others and especially toward myself. I do not focus on the negativity that exists out there. I focus on helping make the world a better place for everyone to live in. That is what makes me and my heart happy. We all have different aims in life, but we should all want to live a happy one. I feel it starts with more love and living more from our hearts.
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