Act As If...

"Happiness can exist only in acceptance." - George Orwell

I think that for quite a long time I was very unhappy. I was stressed out about a lot of things, and I basically got too wrapped up in the logistics of life to allow myself to enjoy things. That was a big reason that I started this project in the first place. I wanted to change some things about myself, and accept the things I couldn't change, so I could be happier. I accepted the challenge I gave myself, and I think that I have made a lot of progress in creating and uncovering a more positive me.

I have read that if you want to be in a certain mood, act that way. Don't wait for the feelings to come to you, act on what you want to feel and the feelings will follow. It sounds a little crazy, but think about it. Let's say one morning you wake up and something happens that puts you in a bad mood right off the bat. You carry that bad mood with you to work, and act cranky toward all your coworkers. Your coworkers get annoyed with you because you're so cranky, and one of them says something that makes you even more upset. You bring the really bad mood home with you and the kids won't leave you alone, which makes you even more angry. And so on it goes. You acted cranky after that first incident and the bad mood snowballed.

However, now let's say that something happened to you first thing in the morning, and you're upset about it but you accept it, deal with it and put it aside. You're in a pleasant mood at work and have a couple of nice conversations with your coworkers. One of them buys you lunch. That thing that happened in the morning is still bugging you, but you continue to push it away and focus on staying in a good mood. You get home after work and the kids won't leave you alone. You take a minute or two to pay attention to each kid, which makes them happy and they go on their merry way allowing you to start dinner. And on and on.

"Act as if..." whatever you want to happen will happen. If you want to be in a good mood, act as if you already are. I have thought about this concept quite a lot lately, because it's very easy for me to slide down the negative thinking slope. Which just goes to prove that if you "act as if" you're in a bad mood, you will be! I have also proven to myself that if I accept whatever it is that bothers me, and carry on with a pleasant outlook, I will have a much better chance of staying in a good mood longer. It's all about acceptance. Happiness truly is attainable through acceptance.

I understand that this is not an easy thing. I never said it was. In fact, as I've stated previously, acceptance is one of the hardest things for me to put into practice. Sometimes I'd rather run away, or pick a fight with someone rather than accept something I don't like. But, as I'm learning, acceptance is a huge piece of the happiness puzzle. Every day, I try to accept a little something more so I can get that moment of AHA. Because sometimes that little moment makes all the effort worth it in the end!