We all want to know what the secret to happiness is, the key that unlocks the door to contentment and positivity, every day. The problem is that life is unpredictable and even when we plan for every eventuality, something unexpected may happen and can throw us off balance.
There are five fundamental pillars that contribute to and support our overall happiness; our relationships, daily work, health, finances and personal/spiritual growth. We are more likely to be happy if we have succeeded in each area, therefore it is worth spending time thinking about how we can strengthen each pillar.
Relationships
It is so important to have people in your life that you give and received unconditional love and support with. We need these people to share our lives with, to celebrate the highs and survive the lows.
Daily Work
In an ideal world we could all do something that we enjoy, however sometimes we need to do what we need to do. Find a way to appreciate something that work gives you; the people you spend time with, intellectual focus or providing for your family.
Health
Without our health, we put our life at risk and without it nothing else would matter. We must prioritise this and actively take steps to maintain and improve everyday.
Finances
In this world, we need money to buy essential items and have freedom to do things. Lack of money can create struggle and worry, so take time to plan how to create and save wealth, and how to spend wisely.
Personal/spiritual growth
Doing things that stretch and interest us help to develop our sense of self as human beings. We should utilise this body we have been blessed with and take the opportunities that surround us.
I understand how hard it can be to simply ‘be happy’. Life can be hard, especially when issues arise that are due to circumstances out of our control. It is worth noting here that there are some circumstances within our control. By looking at the pillars of happiness, we can take practical steps to improve these areas and take back control of our live and our happiness.
How can we create what we want, if we haven’t taken the time to figure out exactly what that is? Many of us go from day to day, living the life that has been dealt to us. There is another way. Actively decide what we want and do something about it, now! It can be so hard to find motivation to get up in the morning, so find something that motivates us to get out bed and start the day looking forward to something we will do that day.
We should all take time each day to look objectively at our lives and think about what is working well and what is not. During this process we should be brutally honest with ourselves, think about what we truly want from life and how we can make it happen.
If we use this philosophy when considering each the pillar of our lives, we can develop the formula to live a more fulfilling life.
One the best examples of choosing happiness and manifesting something I wanted into reality is how I came to spend much of my adult life in the Caribbean. Being from Jersey in the Channel Islands, the main industry is offshore finance and growing up I always thought that if I ended up working in finance, I would make the most of it by travelling and moving to a tropical island. I always thought that there must be more to life than just getting a mortgage and spending hours in traffic every day. I used to look out of the window at work, gazing at the grey overcast sky imagining blue skies and palm trees blowing in the breeze.
As I came to the end of my exams in accountancy, I felt it was time to actualise my day dreams. How hard can it be to get a job out there? I started applying for jobs and well, that thought I had all those years ago, it came true. And the years I spent in living in the British Virgin Islands were some of the best years that I’ve had. The ultimate definition of a tropical island, I truly had manifested my dream. I was awestruck and so grateful for the experience. I moved there because it was something that I knew would make me happy and looking back, it affected all the pillars of my life in a positive way.
That manifesting thought was so strong that even after I came back to Jersey to have my daughter, my little family and I founds ourselves back in the tropics, in the Dominican Republic. I feel that it could have been a recurring manifestation, my thoughts and desires were perhaps still lingering in my sub-conscious so I was given another opportunity by the Universe to live my dream.
My motivation for writing this article is to pass on what I have learnt about the power of your thoughts. This way of thinking has benefited me so much and I want to help others experience the same good fortune. To discover their true desires and to take practical action to make it happen. Think it, believe it, make it happen. I feel as though I can do (almost) anything and it is a great feeling.
Maxine Holly Jones is the author of A Guided Journal for 2019 and one of the most inspiring newcomers to the field of spirituality and self-improvement this year. To find out more, visit her website at www.maxinehollyjones.com or her Instagram @maxinehollyjones
