Until Yesterday, I Was Everything I Could Be; Today, I Am What I Want to Be

Until Yesterday, I Was Everything I Could Be; Today, I Am What I Want to Be

Last update: 19 August, 2017

Until very recently, many of us were only what we could be, or what others allowed us to be. However, in time, the heart fires up and the eyes become courageousFears are left behind because today, finally, we are everything we want to be, no restrictions nor reservations, and without fear of what they will say.

Achieving it is not always easy, it is the result of a trip for which we do not buy the correct tickets. Personal realization is not gained with years, like in the case of the first white hairs or the first wrinkles. Achieving fulfillment and that sense of well-being and internal balance is not the norm, nor is it a program we can install on our brain as we would download a new app on our phone.

“Happiness is when what you think, do, and say are in harmony.”

-Ghandi

On the other hand, there is something strange about all this. There are times when, as we walk through a restaurant, we overhear a conversation, and there is a phrase that we almost always hear repeated. It is like a leitmotif, a sort of wailing, or almost an appeal: “All I want is to be happy.”

In this one phrase there is a drop of desperation and a ton of hope. It is as if many of us feel a sort of “depersonalization,” as if we were engrossed in a reality in which we do not identify with, that does not belong to us, because it simply does not bring us true happiness.

We recommend that you reflect on that, and we invite you to make changes to build a new, more satisfying, reality.

The secret to a fuller life starts today

For many years, research on happiness was focused on explaining how we can be happier. In fact, today there is no lack of self-help books whose focus is the same theme: happiness as a goal. Now then, happiness should not be a goal, but rather a result, a sub-product of each one of our actions throughout the day, those that make life worthwhile.

For example, Alastair Humphreys is what we can define as an “adventurer.” He is a writer and motivational coach who works for National Geographic, and in 2012 he raised a small challenge to the readers of the magazine. He wanted to show his followers how to promote personal growth, to start being who they really wanted to be, instead of who others expected them to be.

To achieve this, he started by engaging them in what is called “micro-adventures.” It was a direct invitation to find their inner balance by meeting daily challenges. The way to achieve this couldn’t be easier. He proposed the following.

The daily search for pleasure, knowledge, and freedom

The secret to a fuller life can start today, but to do so we need two basic ingredients: constant compromise and creativity. That is how our micro-adventures from day to day will generate new thoughts, new emotions, and better well-being.

These are just some examples:

  • Change the route you take to work. If you normally drive a car, take the bus instead and observe the city, the people… If you normally take the bus, get off one stop earlier and continue on foot. Enjoy the moment, what you are feeling, what you see, and what is around you.
  • Eat in the park, get out of your normal circle of friends and talk to new people.
  • Break up your routine, dare to get lost in your own city, force your gaze to look for something different.
  • Wake up earlier and meditate. Think about what you want to accomplish that day and decide what you do not want to be a part of your day. 
  • Force yourself to do something new each day: a new sport, a new book, a new hobby, a new friend, a new hairstyle, a new thought, a new attitude…

“Today may be the beginning of everything you propose.”

Putting these simple “micro-adventures” into daily practice will begin to cause small changes, little by little, into something new. That is how we come to understand that real happiness is part of a process and not an unreachable goal that we see on the horizon.  It is knocking down walls, barriers, and limiting attitudes to find ourselves, to allow our true self to emerge. 

What I was yesterday and what I am in this moment

There are those who pride themselves on being the king of never having changed. Of always having the same line of thought, the same attitudes, the same scents. We need to be careful with those types of personalities because by being human, whether we like it or not, we are obligated to move ahead as a person, to grow, be flexible and adapt to this complex reality, to build happiness that is real and satisfying.

Not being the same person that you were yesterday is not a drama. Because, despite the bumps, the deceptions, and the losses, something new has come out of it all. Something beautiful, brighter and, without a doubt, much stronger. What we are today is not just a result of our past, because within us we harbor a hope for the future and the pleasure of enjoying today by being ourselves.

So, we understand that happiness is a process, not an end goal. We learn that TODAY is always the best time to make decisions, assert ourselves, and cross the barriers set by our fears in a way that will help us reach the summit of everything that we truly deserve.

 


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.