The Road to Happy

Sometimes you have to travel many lines down the road to get to happy.  Sometimes it takes years, sometimes it comes faster.  Whichever way, it seems that there are books galore about how to obtain that illusive happy.  I myself have been through a rough time that just in the past year I have recovered and feel like my life is back on track with where it was headed.

A string of bad luck and hard times hit about five years ago, starting with being brutally attacked by the then boyfriend. Being stalked by him for the next 18 months didn’t help the situation or my happiness factor.  Add to that, my father was in and out of the hospital with complications from chemotherapy. And then there was the House of Mold, as well as some minor things like loosing jobs due to budget cuts, family issues and a few break ups.  It was rough and there were thousands of  steps, hundred of miles, millions of heartbeats, countless tears and so much re building that I was beginning to wonder if Happy would ever happen.

And them, one day, I realized it had.  I was finally there.  But there was no fan fare, no big  moment or event, no epiphany. It just slowly, crept up on me. I was smiling and laughing more, feeling lighter and freer, enjoying life more.

But how exact;y did I get there?  How does someone who is going through or has been through a rough spot, get back to happy? I don’t know.  But here is what worked for me.

Pray:  Pray and have faith.  I have prayed some of the most sincere prayers  after sobbing in the shower where no one could hear the tears.  Bottom line is that faith got me through the worst of times, when there was nothing else to hold onto.

Forget what other people think:  If you live your life trying to please everyone, or trying to keep up the the Jones’s, your will drive yourself crazy and end up unhappy and frazzled.  Do what you want, live your life, follow your gut and forget everything else.  IF someone doesn’t like what you do or how you do it…so what?  Move on.

Family and friends – the right kind of people in your life can make ll of the difference.  And the wrong kind of people, those who are beneath you, can hurt you much more that those who are your kind.  This is because those who do not play fair know how to cut you deeper, because many times they will hit below the belt.

And when I say the right people, I am not talking about those who make a lot of money, have big houses and expensive cars.  I mean those who are loyal, those that will stand behind and support you when you are down. Those friends who will inspire you, motivate you, kick you in the pants when you need it, and bring wine and ice cream when you need them too, are invaluable. The kind of people who have your back make any situation better.

Celebrate the little things – In life there a few really big wonderful moments, but they don’t happen very often  So celebrate all the little things, those perfect moments, that happen every day.  A beautiful day, your favorite song on the radio, a great meal, a good glass of wine, a beautiful sunset, can all be celebrated and appreciated.  Do this and those big moments won’t seem so far apart.

“The best kind of laughter is laughter born of a shared memory.”–Mindy Kalin

Laugh, a lot – Having the right kind of people in your life in important, but so is having the right kind of relationships.  The ones where you can really be yourself and laugh. A lot. Laughter truly is the best medicine and if you find the relationships where giggles are plentiful, it can get you through the worse of times.

Breath and let go  – One of the most important things that worked for me, was letting go of all the negative. All of that old baggage, all the hurts and tears. This one may take some time to work through issues , but it is well worth it.  When it is all done, you feel lighter, more hopeful and l have room for all the good positive things in your life.