Hello, everybody!!
It’s Elena here. I’ve always wanted to share my thoughts and my energy with other people so here I am, being your blog writer. Enjoy!
As for my first article ever, which I’m extremely excited about, I’ve decided to address the topic of happiness, because I want to start this journey by spreading positivity. Just as a disclaimer, I want you to know that I’m not telling you how to live your life or what to do in order to be happy.
It is your life so it is your choice. Remember that it is ok not to be ok all the time. I’m not ok all the time. Nobody is. We are humans. We all have ups and downs. And that’s fine. I’m going to give you just some friendly reminders that you are worthy and I really hope that my lines will make someone out there feel better. So please, take this article as a page of journal or as a letter from a dear friend, because that’s what I actually want it to be. Let’s just dive right in!
In case nobody told you, the words that we are telling to ourselves are usually the ones who affect us the most. Words, from whomever they come, are powerful. But sadly, they are underestimated most of the time and people forget that they should be very careful with them. Everybody deserves to hear beautiful things as often as possible, so why to wait for somebody else to compliment you today when you can do it yourself? The way you speak to yourself matters. It’s enough to take a look in the mirror every morning before you get going and say “You got it!” or “I feel pretty today!” and this is literally the best mood someone can be in. It is the best way to start your day.
The only validation that you need is your validation. Educate your brain to talk nicely about you and work out an unbreakable mindset. Be nice to yourself. It’s hard to be happy when someone is mean to you all the time. And you spend most of your time with yourself, you are the most expensive and beautiful thing you’re ever going to own so make sure you take good care of yourself and always be ready to put yourself together and keep moving forward, because you’ve got a brilliant future ahead and you have some big dreams to chase.
Surround yourself with people of quality, people who push you to do and be better. Clean your circle. No drama or negativity. Just higher goals and higher motivation. I heard someone saying that if you are the smartest in the room, then you are in the wrong room. Stay with people who can teach you things and who can be good friends for you. Because people tend to adopt personality traits from others, gestures, words, attitudes, so make sure you stay around smart people in order to become smarter. And consequently more positive and energetic. Maybe you don’t see people looking at you because you aren’t looking at them. Maybe you don’t hear all the good things people say because you are too focused on the bad. Maybe you’re a lot more wonderful, beautiful and special than you ever give yourself credit for.
Remember to love yourself a little more today. And everyday. Self-love is important. I’m sure you don’t want to be in your elderly years, flicking through old pictures of yourself and at last moment realizing how beautiful you truly were. Believe it now. And admire someone else’s beauty without questioning your own. When you love yourself, life does hit different. Nothing and nobody could ever bring you down once you realize your worth. But be careful and learn the difference between self-love and ego. Self-love will make you more welcoming and accepting. Ego will do nothing but make you self-centered and it will hold you like a hostage.
Celebrate little accomplishments. You are allowed to be proud of the victories that no one else can see. Like showering without completely hating your body, not breaking into tears at the thought of the future, taking yourself out of a dark mindset, calming yourself down in public, or like waking up every single day and choosing life. Be proud of the progress no matter if it is visible for others or not. You’re doing great, keep up the good work!
I read something on Instagram saying “12 year old me would think current me is so cool and hot” and that’s really all that matters. Just by taking a look back in your 10s you will see how insecure you were but also how much you’ve changed, trying to find your own identity at an age when you were supposed to learn, play and develop your character, all at the same time. Now there is nothing any easier, but at least you are braver and more experienced than you were back then.
The most important thing is that you definitely haven’t let down that 12 year old kid who dreamed big and you still got time to achieve even more. The ages 16-23 aren’t easy. You lose friends, you make mistakes, you fall, you fail, you lose yourself, you hit reality but in the end you find yourself and become more stronger after all these years. As long as you are here trying, you have not lost your way. Believe in yourself!
You might be wondering why happiness is considered such an important aspect of life, as there are many components of a meaningful life.
June Silny at Happify outlines 14 answers to the question “What’s so great about happiness, anyway?”:
- Happy people are more successful in multiple life domains, including marriage, friendship, income, work performance, and health.
- Happy people get sick less often and experience fewer symptoms when they do get sick.
- Happy people have more friends and a better support system.
- Happy people donate more to charity (and giving money to charity makes you happy, too).
- Happy people are more helpful and more likely to volunteer—which also makes you happier!
- Happy people have an easier time navigating through life since optimism eases pain, sadness, and grief.
- Happy people have a positive influence on others and encourage them to seek happiness as well, which can act as reinforcement.
- Happy people engage in deeper and more meaningful conversations.
- Happy people smile more, which is beneficial to your health.
- Happy people exercise more often and eat more healthily.
- Happy people are happy with what they have rather than being jealous of others.
- Happy people are healthier all around and more likely to be healthy in the future.
- Happy people live longer than those who are not as happy.
- Happy people are more productive and more creative, and this effect extends to all those experiencing positive emotions.
As you can probably assume from the list above, there is a strong connection between mental health and happiness! When happy people are healthier, have better relationships, make friends more easily, and find more success in life, it’s easy to see why happiness and mental health are related. The close tie between mental health and happiness is reason enough to make happiness an important priority in our lives, along with the simple fact that we all like to feel happy!
I’m in love with songs, books and the sky because these are the things that make me fall in love with life itself, these are the things that make me feel alive. Let’s fall in love with life and we will be happier!
It is no longer a secret that music is a key factor to happiness, so I added my favorite playlist down below in case you’re looking for something to improve your mood or just looking for some new good music to listen to:
Moreover, if you are interested in learning more about how to build a positive mindset and lifestyle, here is an inspiring speech that might help you:
And also a guide about how to be happy, explained from a “scientific” point of view: