Since she was a little, Nina had always been told what she should do in her life to be happy.
She should go to college.
She should get a good paying job.
She should marry a good man.
She should have only three children.
She should go to church.
She should watch her weight.
She should dress this way.
And so on…
Yet she was rarely encouraged to just be her authentic self.
Nina did all the “shoulds” above and was left feeling empty and lost. She felt like she didn’t know who she really was. And now her world was so busy that she didn’t have time to figure it out.
Stuck in a life that she thought she wanted, Nina felt too guilty and shameful to admit to her family and friends that she was just not happy. Inside, Nina longed for something more.
But what she really wanted, she didn’t know.
One day, she got invited to join a few friends at an artful painting and wine class. For the first time in ages, Nina felt like a real person. She didn’t know if it was the wine or the art, but she felt amazing and she wanted more of this feeling.
Nina started painting as a hobby and discovered that she was pretty talented when she got into a state of flow. The more she painted, the more she learned about herself and her gifted abilities. Soon Nina started displaying her art in galleries and making money off of something she loved doing.
Slowly, Nina began discovering her authentic self through her artistic abilities and this filled her empty heart. Her life changed after that, she felt like she had a purpose and meaning in her life. She felt happy.
What’s the secret to happiness? The secret is discovering “Who you really are?” The Hollywood idea of a perfectly happy life being educated, rich, famous, married with children, skinny, beautiful, and so on is fake if you don’t really want this!
Your happiness starts with really knowing your “authentic self.” Then anything you do after that will be in line with your true values and beliefs. Living a life that somebody else wants you to live is misery. Be yourself and be happy.
Final Thoughts
If you want to be authentically happy, then:
- Do what you love to do using your strengths and talents.
- Use your strengths and talents to make the world a better place.
- Surround yourself with positive people that love you.
- Be grateful for what you have and you will always be abundant.
- Practice random acts of kindness and spread the happiness.
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