Happiness vs. Healthiness?
In the past year I have learned that being happy and being healthy are two different things. I’m still developing this thought. Since this blog is about me learning how to better express and develop ideas, I figured I would share it here.
In the past, I have always strived for happiness and the lust that comes along with it. I told myself that when I was in control of my time I would always be happy. I obviously knew that hardships would come around, but I figured that if I simply optimized for happiness, my life would be great. While it was much better than striving for other things, it was inconsistent.
Maybe that’s the wrong word…
It wasn’t compounding. Happiness today doesn’t necessarily make you happy tomorrow. Sure, you can look back on pictures and recall good times but the fact that you were once happy doesn’t improve how you feel in the present moment. You can strive after instant gratification and lust all you want, but it never stays.
What improves your life as a whole is healthiness. I don’t necessarily mean health in a physical sense, I’m talking about your psychological health (although the two are often linked). Working on my health today makes me happier and healthier tomorrow. It is compounding.
Being healthy means being able to think rationally and better analyze situations. It means that you can choose your state of mind and be present in the moment. When you are able to do this, you can make even the worst situation bearable.
The ability to control your thoughts and the filters that they go through is a superpower.
Someone who is healthy can sit and analyze their thoughts. They can actively make decisions based on what is important to them and how they want to live their lives.
Now this doesn’t mean that healthy people don’t go through tough times or make mistakes. Hardships and failures are extremely valuable if you have the ability to learn from them. Someone who is mentally fit can look back at tough times and analyze the situation in order to better react in the future.
If you wander through life mindlessly and let the current of society pull you around, you will end up miserable. If you let the world or your circumstances dictate how you approach the day, you will never escape the grasp of unconscioussness.
Learn to be in control of your emotions. Learn to control your inner state. I promise that the returns will apply to more of your life than you can imagine. It will exponentially improve your life.
The hard part about this topic is that I can’t exactly tell you how to become more present. It’s different for everyone and it’s up to you to find what works best. To start, here are a few things that have helped me:
- Meditation.
No, I don’t mean sitting in a room and closing your eyes and saying “ohm” over and over again. Just download an app such as Oak or Headspace and try it out for a few days. Nearly all of the successful people I have studied have some sort of meditation habit and I don’t think it’s a coincidence.
- Be present.
Right now, take a deep breath (in…. and out). Now take in your surroundings. Listen to the sounds, feel the air coming into your lungs. Don’t just glance, really look around.
Take the time to do this throughout the day. As a trial, do this every time you walk through a doorway or set a reminder for every couple hours.
- Stop future planning.
This goes along with being present. If you are brushing your teeth, don’t think about how you are going to get to work or even what you’re going to wear today. Think about how the brush feels against your teeth and the scent of your toothpaste. Stop thinking about what might happen and focus on what is happening.
None of this is easy. In the world of distractions that surrounds every one of us, it’s extremely difficult to look around and take it all in. I am the first to admit that I fail to do so all the time. Weeks will go by where you will be sucked back into being numb to the world around you. Persevere. Try doing just one of these things and attempt to bring yourself back to the state of thinking for yourself and being present.
Nothing is more important than your health. Your ability to think and feel is what makes you an individual. It’s what differentiates your experience in life from everyone else’s. Protect it with your life.
Your task this week:
Pascal once said. “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”.
Try it. Put away your phone, turn off the TV, close your computer, and try to sit alone for 10 minutes (set a timer on your phone if you need but silence your notifications).
I hope you’re having a great week. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.
-Austin
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KNOWNASAUSTIN 