Enjoying Life

 

 

 

May you live every day of your life

 

Jonathan Swift

 

 

 

How each of us finds happiness and pleasure in life is very much a personal decision or characteristic. It is a function of how we respond to the happenings in our lives. In this book there is discussion of various aspects of happiness which affect us and those around us.

 

It seems important to strive to enjoy life on a daily basis. Actually I consider this to be very important. Many people ask if there is a secret to happiness. Life is complex and affected by many factors. However, if there is a key factor to happiness it may be to:

 

Enjoy each day as much as possible.

 

Try to emphasize an attitude of being high on life. Having the opportunity to do enjoyable things each day is good. If you look for more things in life to enjoy, you will find them. One of my favorite thoughts is:

 

It's another great day to be alive.

 

This type of attitude about each day can definitely help focus on enjoying daily life.

 

Sometimes people say that they wish they were through with some task they are doing or with some phase of their life. Young people may sometimes wish to be through with a grade level in school or be out of high school or college. Yet, after they have completed these phases of life, they often look back with fond memories and may even wish they were there again. A simple thought on this is:

 

Don't wish your life away; enjoy the present.

 

There are things that happen in life that are difficult or which bring pain or sorrow. We all have these. There is no way to escape some of them. However, there are many things to enjoy each day including your family, your friends, people you interact with, your achievements, your health, your material pleasures, or whatever. How you perceive you surroundings and your situation directly affects how you enjoy each day. Many of us have much in our lives to enjoy.

 

You can put this in perspective when you consider the situation of some people in the world who exist in very adverse conditions. There are many who would be happy by simply having food to eat. I try to keep the perspective that whatever problems occur in my everyday life, they are trivial compared to the basic concern for survival. If you can keep this in mind, it can help you appreciate the positive things you have to enjoy each day.

 

In this book there is emphasis on self improvement and encouragement. These are important. At the same time it is important to enjoy yourself while you are growing, accomplishing, and improving. It is good to continually strive to improve but the old saying which has definite merit is:

 

Don't forget to stop and smell the roses.

 

There is time for work and for leisure. You have to balance the two and this balance is unique to each person. There is another saying which goes:

 

All work and no play may make [you] a dull [person].

 

The saying makes the point that you need to enjoy your accomplishments along the way to whatever you are striving toward. This thought is also applicable to encouraging others toward achievement. Emphasis on enjoyment of life along the way to whatever you do is also important.

 

A key factor in enjoying life involves your attitude. In another chapter, there is emphasis on the importance of positive attitude in happiness. You can enhance the enjoyment you have in life by adjusting the attitude you have towards everyday things around you. If you concentrate on the positive aspects of things which are beyond your control, you will be more happy than if you focus on the negative. Something as simple as the weather seems to be a good example. You can't change it, but you can perceive it in whatever way you want.

 

Another example of attitude affecting happiness involves enjoying your everyday surroundings. It seems common to hear people say that they wished they lived somewhere else, whether it be in another neighborhood or in another part of the country. There is nothing wrong with trying to obtain something better. This book emphasizes that idea. However it is important to enjoy what you have now. Many factors may affect what you have and where you live. These include family, job, schools, health, and others. We try to balance all of these factors to get the most from our everyday happiness. Focus on the factors you consider most positive if you want to enjoy each day.

 

So, summarizing on things you can do to enjoy life:

 

Focus on the positive events, and surroundings in your life.

 

Identify and strive to change the things in your life which adversely affect your happiness.

 

Try new things at work or as hobbies - if they don't work out, try

something else.

 

Enjoy something about each day.

 

Appreciate what you have.

 

 

Your attitude is very significant when it comes enjoying life.