You are responsible for your happiness

I saw this picture on LinkedIn this weekend and thought that it was a great way of putting practicality around what I am always saying. The picture will serve as a daily reminder of what we are all responsible for. Do you find yourself blaming others for the way that you are feeling? Blaming others for feeling sad, disappointed, overwhelmed?

This behavior can escalate and before you know it you are blaming others for your lack of success, gaining weight, lack of sleep, and so on. And on top of that, it’s ALL THEIR FAULT! You don’t take any of the responsibility. This is a vicious circle and if you don’t get out of it now, you could be headed down a negative and unproductive path.

Bottom line is, if you don’t like the circumstances you are in right now, what are you doing about it? Action alleviates stress. I know for myself, I’m bad about going to the doctor. I’m a hypochondriac and fear what they are going to tell me. So instead, I sit around and stress myself out over what could be wrong. Once I work up enough nerve to actually go to the doctor and I’m told there is nothing wrong, I’m fine and realize that I could have avoided being stressed for weeks.

Are you truly doing everything in your power to eliminate the negativity in your life? It’s your choice and each choice has rewards and consequences. If you don’t like the situation you are in right now, you can change it. That’s your choice.

Denis Waitley said, “A sign of wisdom and maturity is when you come to terms with the realization that your decisions cause your rewards and consequences. You are responsible for your life, and your ultimate success depends on the choices you make.”

Eric Thomas said in one of his speeches, “And that’s the problem with some of you. You always want to blame other people. You want to hold other people to the fire, but you’re not holding yourself to the fire. You just said you’re giving 50 percent. You owe you an explanation! You need to look at yourself in the mirror and say, why are you only giving 50 percent, what’s wrong with you? You need to put yourself on punishment. You need to tell you no more TV, no more snacks, no more desserts, no more–no we’re working out now. No more alcohol, not right now. No, I can’t handle it right now. You need to tell you that you owe you something.

You are responsible for your happiness : How do you take responsibility for your happiness?

A crucial milestone on the path involves taking personal responsibility. Taking personal responsibility means not blaming others for your unhappiness. It means figuring out ways in which you can be happy despite others’ (negative) behaviors and despite the external circumstances. A person who has taken personal responsibility recognizes an all-important truth about happiness: your happiness depends much more on your attitude than it does on objective, external circumstances. (Psychology Today).

When we focus on others around us instead of solely on ourselves, we tend to let that drag our happiness down. We compare ourselves to what others have and there is always going to be someone with more that you. There is always going to be someone that “looks” happier on social media. Tell yourself, they have their story, I have mine. When you focus on yourself and just make sure that you are bettering yourself each day you will have a new sense of freedom. If you can look back a year ago and you are in a better spot now than you were then, you are heading in the right direction.

Make the choice to just focus on you and the good things in your life. Make a choice to be happy!

Dale