Imagine waking up happy every day, no matter what happened yesterday. How awesome would that be? How freeing would it feel?
Seneca said, “Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.”
If you wonder who Seneca was, he was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, advisor to Emperor Nero, and dramatist. He lived from 4 BC to AD 65. That means this quote represents about 2000-year-old wisdom!
Is That Wisdom Easier Said Than Implemented?
Most would probably say, “yes.” Let’s take a look at it.
The benefits of taking to this wisdom to heart seem clear:
- You don’t carry the burdens from yesterday into today.
- You are happier.
- You are free to discover new opportunities.
- Your mind is more open to seeing new possibilities.
- You are even more fun to be around for others.
- It is easier for you to be productive.
- It is easier to be, do and have what you truly want.
Ok. Fabulous. Now then, how can we do that?
Most young kids wake up happy – but not all. I talked to a mom who said one of her kids woke up angry all his life. That is probably the exception rather than the norm.) By the time we are adults, most of us don’t wake up happy reliably. We have learned to make our happiness dependent on external circumstances.
Happiness Comes From Within
But it doesn’t have to be this way – and it is a good thing to remember that. Happiness comes from within.
We can adopt any belief we choose, including “I wake up happy every day!” In a previous Brilliance nugget, I shared with you about the book by Dr. Joe Dispenza, “You are the placebo.” It is worth revisiting – not just for you but also for me.
The reason for revisiting this fantastic and life-changing insight (we can adopt any helpful belief we want to ) is this: There is upkeep to do. We can train our brains to wake up happy every day. And, if you are not keeping it up, you can also untrain it again.
I Invite You
I invite you to make waking up happy every day a priority. Use the insight in the book (summarized in my nugget). You can also use affirmations. Having a gratitude practice and/or prayer practice is very helpful.
In the end, we have to remember one thing: Your happiness is exclusively your responsibility. No one can do it for you, and no one can take it away. And yes, I’m writing this as a reminder to myself, too.
I’m Curious
How happy do you choose to be today? And tomorrow? And the next day?
Dr. Stephie
P.S.: I appreciate you commenting and sharing this with others. Thank you!
