Recently, I was watching a television program
that raised the topic of happiness. The following 13 suggestions of things to
abandon were mentioned. It got me to think about how those suggestions related
to me personally.
1.
Give up bad spending habits
This is not an issue for me. I have
adopted a really good amount of self discipline in spending and deciphering
what it is that I need vs. what I want. (But I also love a good deal when it
can be found…)
2.
Give up waiting for the perfect moment. Do it
now
Given my current situation, this is
really not something I can put in motion…at least not in the areas of my life
that I would like to see affected.
3.
Give up your Social Media obsession
I don’t even know what that would
entail for me since I do not have any access to social media.
4.
Give up living in the past. Those times may
have shaped you into what you are today, but they don’t have the power to
control your future.
This is something I struggle with. I
am conscious of it, but it is so easy to revert back to the past. I know that I
have grown and changed in more ways than I can count, so I need to focus on the
future and being the man that I have become.
5.
Give up your yearning to fit in
Not an issue for me since I have never
exactly ‘fit in’. I have come to embrace this train in myself. For me, fitting
in is boring and lacks personal identification.
6.
Give up your disorganized lifestyle
I am obsessive in my life and
meticulous in all that I do so disorganization is not an option for me.
Personally I find disorganization unacceptable because I cannot function in
life if things are in disarray.
7.
Give up your overanalyzing of situations
I fall short on this habit. I analyze
a lot and can easily find myself overanalyzing situations. Ironic; I am even
overanalyzing my analysis of this habit. Not a good sign.
8.
Give up your need to have the “best” things. Don’t
forget about the wonderful things you already have.
This is easy for me because I remind
myself of the things that I do have in this situation. All of the material stuff
has become less and less important to me. I still enjoy some of the best things…
I just place less emphasis on them now that I did before.
9.
Give up toxic relationships
At the moment, I don’t have any.
10.
Give up your hesitation to indulge.
Indulging for me is putting my feet up
and reading a good book. I do it every chance that I can get.
11.
Give up
comparing yourself to others. Embrace who you are because there isn’t anyone
better than you can be.
Not until coming to prison did I open
my eyes and begin to move forward in becoming the best David, the best man that
I know how to be. It’s something I wish everyone could do.
12.
Give up
your packed schedule. Choose a day a week to dedicate to yourself.
Easier said than done and I think most
people would agree – but duly noted.
13.
Give up relying on others to make you feel
happy & fulfilled. You are in charge of your own wellness. Know what you
want out of life.
I know intrinsically that this is true. I have
had my own issues with happiness and think that I have yet to discover what it
feels like authentically. One thing is certain; I do not rely on others to make
me feel happy or fulfilled. I know that only I can do that.
