Happiness in the Dull Moments

Life is 10% of what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it                    ~ Charles Swindoll

I have been thinking a lot lately as I’m closing in on turning 50 about my purpose and passion in life.  I think it’s important to reflect on what you have already accomplished in life.  Usually we are too hard on ourselves and if we take the time to truly and honestly reflect on our accomplishments it isn’t that hard to see the good we’ve done.  It’s easiest to see I think in the people we’ve impacted, the changes we’ve helped them make in their own lives.  The other thing is that we often don’t realize the impacts we make on people, how we inspire others.  I think we need to take more time in our lives to go back and tell those people who inspired and help change us, especially our friends and those close to us, so they get to know the good they have done and in turn hopefully more people will do the same for us.

What hit me today though while pulling into the parking lot of the supermarket was just how much time we spend on the mundane tasks of living, things like going to the grocery store, cleaning, doing yard work, commuting and working.  It would be great if we all had massively rewarding jobs but the unfortunate truth is that most of us are working towards earning a necessary pay check each week.  For this reason, it’s equally important to find happiness in the spaces in our lives, in the dull and mundane moments.  One of the techniques I use for this is music, I almost always have music with me, when I’m driving, at the gym, in the office.  Another technique I like but don’t do nearly enough myself, is to take small happiness breaks throughout the day.  Have a picture you like, someone close to you or even an image of a piece of art and take a few 5 minute breaks throughout the day just to stop and look at the picture and allow yourself to escape the dull moment and slide into the happiness of the image.

Whatever you do, however you find time to do it, find a little happiness in the spaces and have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane