#1 Mistake Finding Happiness

Chan Crawford
Feb 27, 2018
3 min read

After talking to a client yesterday, I was reminded of a simple truth. With so many people looking for happiness in this world today, you would think that more people would catch on to it. Call it the law of attraction, call it the secret, call it faith…but the one mistake that people make when looking for happiness is...

expecting it to just fall in their laps!

People continue to wait for a circumstances to change before they can truly be happy. They wait to find the right person to be in a relationship with. They wait for that perfect job. They wait for the right income. They wait for school to be over. They wait to lose that weight.

Whatever the case may be, people seem to think that WHEN THIS [insert event here] HAPPENS, THENNNNNNNN, they can be happy. Well that’s simply not the truth.

Sometimes --no, oftentimes, you have to create happiness for yourself. Happiness is comprised of many different moments of joy. Laughter, meaningful relationships, a fulfilling job, or an accomplishment can orchestrate this for you. However, there are little moments in life, that you can create for yourself, that will cause you small moments of joy.

Take a nice bath. Try a fun exercise class. Call a friend. Watch something funny. Color. Start a project. Take a walk. Read a good book. Take a vacation. Take a weekend trip. Take a road trip. Visit your sister. Play with your kids. Have a glass of wine. Just to name a few...

***NOTE***

YOU DON’T HAVE TO DESIRE TO DO THEM TO GET THEM DONE!

One thing I talk to my clients about, who struggle with depression, is that you have to force yourself to do the things that will change your mood. It will not just change all of a sudden. There are so many different things that establish momentum in this same frame.

Losing weight: you have to force yourself to go the gym, or eat right before you actually find the motivation to do it on your own. Results from FORCING YOURSELF give you the momentum to keep going. Then you no longer have to force yourself to do it. You like the results….so you willingly keep up your activities so that you can keep losing weight, right?

Starting up a company: of course the work doesn’t pay off at first. You have to sacrifice money, time, and effort, for results. You might not have been motivated to do the beginning work, but the results that come afterward, will start to motivate you to continue to do it.

So the same goes for happiness. Happiness is maintenance. Just like maintaining your body, or a new company, or even your grades…you have got to put in the work to keep the results. That means you have to do what’s uncomfortable to get the results that you want. Then those results will turn back around and motivate you to keep doing it for similar results.

So now when you go into your days, I want you to remember that you create your happiness. It doesn’t just fall into your lap. You must participate in making it happen, and then be a willing participant to maintain it.

My Challenge To You

Make a list of the things you enjoy…kind of like a bucket list (if you will). Post it somewhere you will see it often. You can put it on your bathroom mirror, on your car dashboard, or as a daily calendar reminder in your phone. This will help you remember to do some of the things you enjoy, on a daily basis. AND ACTUALLY DO THEM. Cross them off your list, by the week, or by the month && then start all over again. It won’t take long before you start to see a shift in your attitude. You will start to see joy in your days, instead of complaint, in every little thing. You will start to see what you can appreciate and value, instead of what you can’t stand.

So with that, I’m wishing you happiness today. From this point on, you can create it, and maintain it…on your own account. No one else is responsible, but you. So take control of it, and go for your happiness.

With Love and Expectation,

Chan Crawford