Choosing Happiness

Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately is the idea of happiness, and the weight in which it has in our decision-making.  Craig & I have been pondering a few different life decisions lately and it seems we keep coming down to the struggle between what would make us happy versus what is a more practical, responsible choice.  Ha, why must they be different?!

Often times the things that make us happy are our hobbies and our passions but those don’t necessarily or even typically coincide with how many of us spend the majority of our days.  For example, I think most people probably are in jobs that they don’t actually have a passion for but it pays the bills and they don’t really know how to turn what they love into something that they can survive off of and keep the lights on.

Another example that I can think of and also personally relate to from a previous relationship (obvi not Craig…he is dreamy & perfect!) is that so many people are in relationships that are not right for them and they aren’t fulfilling the things that they need out of a partner, but they stay in those relationships because of a variety of reasons that do not revolve around happiness.  In my previous relationship, it was a “good day” if we didn’t have an argument of some kind.  I’m not going to go into too much detail because it was many years ago, I’m just using this as an example.  I stayed way.too.long. in a relationship where I was brutally unhappy (I wish I was exaggerating) because I felt like I had already invested so much of my time into it and I didn’t want that time to be wasted or in vain or whatever.  We were together for 5 years.  And honestly I would say about 4 years too long, ha.  Sometimes it takes us a while to figure out that our happiness SHOULD weight heavily on our decision making.  You only get one life, regardless of the time you’ve put into something, if it isn’t making you happy, why waste another second of your precious life on it?

Once you let go of those things that bring you down, you’re able to see doors opening to a newer opportunity and a fresher, happier life.  Within a year of that previous relationship ending, I was dating the man that would eventually become my husband.  I cannot picture my life without him, he gives me every single ounce of support, love, protection, laughter, everything that I could ever ask for…and I am thankful every day for finally making the decision to move on with my life and to allow him to enter in to it 🙂  You have to make space for things to serve you by getting rid of the things that do not.

Heck, sometimes it’s something as simple as chopping your hair off that can give you happiness.  I quite literally cut off the dead weight from my life when I got my new haircut.  The long hair was so much work, it was extremely high maintenance and I value my time and how I spend it so greatly that I wasn’t willing to be spending so much of it on my hair.  My shorter locks are so fun and I am so obsessed.  Again it took me a while to finally do it, but I did and I’m so happy about it.

If something is not serving you or making you happy, let that ish go!

outfit deets: leggings // Choose Happiness shirt (found it on sale here, yay!) // sunnies // wrap bracelet // shoes (similar)

I was talking to my cousin on the phone yesterday and she said “Bess you know what? I’m not trying to be morbid here, but you could die tomorrow!” and that perspective seriously just gave me such a shift in a decision that I am currently trying to make (hopefully I can share more soon!).  You only get one chance at this life, so might as well spend it doing the things that let you live it to the fullest.  Whatever it is in your life, if it comes down to a decision that you have, I encourage you to really listen to your heart and where it is pulling you.  Your heart won’t consider those practical, responsible choices and it won’t listen to those irrational excuses you make for doing something you know isn’t right for you.  That all is in your head.  Your heart will simply guide you to what you love and what makes you happy.  I think it can never steer you wrong.  And for me, I know that is the kind of life I want to live.

I’d love for you to weigh in below on a few questions…pick any or all to answer, I’d love to hear from you!

Do you frequently consider the tugs your heart makes at you when you’re making decisions?

What is a decision you put off making for too long because you were listening to your head?

What is something your heart is calling you to do today?

xo,

Bess