Today is a perfect example of why I get out of bed and start moving regardless of how I feel
To be honest, I feel like crap right now. The simple act of writing that statement and reading it out loud made me smile. Even though I have created The Happiness Formula and my app, it doesn’t always mean I wake up with a smile and tackle all my days with ease.
Today I am struggling and I can’t seem to shake the feeling. I would rate my own happiness level as a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10. I guess I am grateful it isn’t a 1…
And as I am re-reading this for the third time, I am starting to be really grateful that it isn’t a 2 either!
The reason I am sharing this with you today is because today will end up being the perfect example of why I couldn’t decide how I felt from the comfort of my own bed. I needed to get moving and start my day. While I haven’t begun creating my gratitude list yet, the simple act of acknowledging how I feel and reflecting on why I am feeling this way is helping me.
The important practice of today is that I don’t need to immediately change my 4. I can sit here and accept that today, right now, is a 4 and that the 4 will pass. The 4 will actually pass as quickly as the days I am an 8.
I reached out to a friend who helped point out how busy I have been lately. He made me realize I hadn’t really taken any time for myself and that I have been burning the candle at both ends. Work has been stressful. My personal life has been stressful. I am hyper focused on attaining my goals which is adding additional stress to my life.
The reality of the situation is that things are really fantastic right now! I have lost 70 pounds this year, my family is healthy, my marriage is amazing and my business is growing! I have great relationships with friends and have gotten amazing feedback from all the speaking engagements I have been doing! (I am starting to realize that today might have just turned into a 5…)
As I turn to my app and complete the formula, Gratitude + Spirituality + Mindfulness = Awareness = Happiness, and I set micro-goals for today I feel more focused and accomplished. My own awareness of the reality in my life and not just the feelings I am having right now are making me smile. While I would love to feel like a 10 all the time, that is NOT real.
While I am not the happiest I have been, I am certainly not the most depressed either. For today, I am have learned that accepting where I am at this moment, watching my breath, and shifting my focus has already moved me in the right direction.
I wouldn’t be surprised if that by the end of today, or even the end of my next phone call or meeting, that I can’t even recall how I felt when I started typing this post.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my 4 with you! I already feel better!
Originally published at medium.com