Many people inadvertently make themselves victims of unhappiness
They know deep within themselves that they are intelligent, successful and attractive, or whatever the criterion may be. Yet, the boss calls or sends a message that he’d like to see them, and immediately they think that they’ve done something wrong. One receives a letter in the mail, and immediately he or she thinks it’s bad news; or the phone rings while one’s spouse or child is out late at night, and once again he or she thinks the worst. One goes to the doctor for a regular checkup and spends the next few days or weeks in angst awaiting the diagnosis.
In each of these cases, time and time again, the news was good, sometimes a very pleasant surprise, yet one keeps submitting to a type of paranoia. Whether this paranoid, negative feeling stems from a psychological experience in childhood or adolescence, it does no good for one’s self-esteem. The first step toward living a happy life is to feel self-worth. Happiness for each person is different. People know what makes them happy. They know how they feel when they are happy. Wealth may be happy for some people, while for others it is not. There are many wealthy people who are not happy.
Ways to Strengthen Self Image
One should find ways to strengthen his or her self-image and eradicate humiliating attitudes toward oneself. Joining social groups and talking with others is a good way to start. One will almost certainly find that he or she is not the only one who was thinking a certain way or the only one who has had negative experiences. Everyone has been touched in one way or another with unhappy experiences. Do not look at others and think everything is fine for everyone except oneself.
Of course, it does not change one’s experiences, but it does give some sort of comfort, assuring one that he or she is not alone in bearing that cross. The thing is that, if one wants to live, he or she has to take action. The knowledge that giving in to inertia and brooding in self-pity will only take one to lower depths of unhappiness and make it more difficult to rise from it, should definitely give one the strength to keep on keeping on.
If one’s job is ill-suited to him or her, or one feels enslaved by it, work on means to remedy the situation the minute it becomes possible. Where there is a will, there is always away. If possible, find another line of work.
Leisure is a very important part of life.
Leisure is as important as work. Some people give all their lives to work. The old saying “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy” still stands true. Always try to have enriching hobbies. These will compensate, especially if one is unhappy in his or her job. Everyone has gifts, and many times, when one uses God-given talents, he or she gains more satisfaction and success than doing a job which is a meaningless grind.
Do not live an entire life without discovering one’s gifts and making an attempt to use them
No one should allow himself or herself to be just a working machine. Enjoy leisure time by taking trips, for example. If one is unable to travel to far-off lands, take short inland trips; go dancing, join groups and engage in social activities like hiking, sailing, kayaking, painting, sports or a host of other activities. A good balance of work and leisure will certainly help one to reach self-fulfillment and whatever will give one what he or she considers to be happiness.
