I Can Do It! (Affirmations, Mantras, and Positivity, OH MY)

I wish I knew this tree's mantra!

Over the years, I’ve dabbled in affirmations.  I’ve read about them.  I’ve written them down.  I believe in them.  I’ve learned to pay attention to what I’m thinking and then change it to something more positive.  I’ve even spent days trying to immerse myself in a positive thought – repeating it over and over like a mantra.  And all of that was helpful and got me further along on the path. 

But something’s missing.  For some reason or another, I always stop practicing them, or I lose interest, or I feel I’m not picking the right one, or I over-think it – (no, not me!).  So now I want to create a system that works for me – something that sticks and rings true, something that I want to do. 

My brain can be as undisciplined as they come.  I used to believe that my brain was just the way it was, like it was designed to do what it does, and think the way it thought and I didn’t have any control over it.  Imagine my delight when I began to learn that I could change my thinking, my patterns; my very brain waves.  I am still intrigued and excited by that, it’s a big reason I do what I do. 

The Pursuit of Happiness…simple ways to get where you want to go while enjoying today

Mother Nature has a way of stopping us in our tracks.

I recently moved back to my hometown.  It’s a beautiful place filled with all the things that I love; mountains, a gorgeous lake, tons of trails and just about every outdoor activity you can think of.  But the thing that it has that I love the most is my sweetheart, who I finally found at the age of 49.  I have known this wonderful man since I was a five year old girl in this same town, and after all these years and full lives apart, we are finally together and happy.  I moved back to this hometown so we could build a life together.  

So this is what I am dealing with; if one of my life goals was to find a true partner with whom I can share my life with, and that goal is now fulfilled, then why can’t I bask in that serenity and joy for a while?  Hey, don’t get me wrong, I DO bask, but in the back of my brain and many times, right in the forefront, I have the reoccurring and nagging pressure to do more, more, more!  In other words, fulfill my “purpose”, or live up to my potential.  As my sister would say, “Sounds exhausting”.  

So there it is, in the “pursuit of happiness”, do we ever get to stop and just BE happy?