Taking Back Our Happiness
Hey there! Welcome to my very first blog ever created. I hope you guys find a liking to my content and I hope y’all stick around to see what becomes of this blog. With that being said, I’d like to just mention that if anyone has any recommendations for blog posts or content that I could discuss here, please touch base with me through my contact page and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Now, back to “business”!
For my first blog I wanted to talk about the importance of setting reasonable goals for yourself. I guess this post was inspired by the idea of going into a new year and realizing that closer to the end of 2021 I completely neglected my happiness, passion’s, and hobbies. I’m not sure if many of you have asked yourselves this or maybe something similar, but, have you ever just thought, “wow…it’s another day of the same old stuff and I have no idea where my life is going”? I know it sounds grim putting it that way, but I believe it also leaves a lot of room for personal development too. It’s a thought I’ve been having a few times a week for the last few months. If I’m being completely honest I’ve felt a little lost and a little more mentally disorganized than usual. I want to blame it on a number of things like: the winter blues, getting sick with Covid, my parents moving across the country, and the lack of a healthy diet. Although all of these things can greatly impact your ability to perform, I can admit that most of my "problems" were caused by me simply not caring about my own needs. I straight up resorted to diving into "survival mode" and somehow I became comfortable there. Needless to say...I've decided to take back my happiness and become a little "uncomfy" again. I plan to do so by incorporating a few resolutions into my life.
You see…2021 was in no way my year. Honestly, I’m not really sure if it was anyone’s year. I know maybe a handful of people who had an incredible time, which makes me happy because at least someone was winning, but it also makes me realize the time I seemed to have lost. Truthfully, I let myself totally fall off the wagon. Of course, it’s okay for things like this to happen. We are all human and I do believe in the fact that we are all doing the best we can with the realities we all live. I try my best to remind others that no one is perfect and these hiccups in life are necessary for our growth. Most days I wish I was able to take my own advice, because it's pretty frustrating how ridiculously hard I am on myself for no reason. Anyway, what I am trying to get at is that our focus shouldn’t be on the fact that we ‘fell off the wagon’. I think that what we should focus on more is the actions we take after falling off the wagon.
I learned many hard lessons I didn’t realize I needed to know in 2021. I even left the year with a huge reality check, which was very needed but totally unnecessary in that very moment. Let’s just say I had to stop checking my socials for a couple days to reduce the amount of FOMO I had from everyone else celebrating 2022. Yeah…it was a big yikes. Despite that uninvited feeling of FOMO... that very moment defined the way I would approach 2022 and what plans I had for myself. I realized that I couldn’t let myself be dragged behind this wagon any longer and that I needed to take more initiative in my own life.
I understand that the last two years have been hard on a lot of people. Unfortunately, it still continues to create hardships in almost every aspect of life. Despite these hardships it is important to keep striving for excellence. Whatever that looks like for you. This is the year we take back our lives and take back what we lost while managing all of these hardships. I know there are many meme’s playing with the whole “2020 too” idea and honestly so far it has definitely felt like that from my perspective. However, I believe that with a small mindset change and a bit of commitment these resolutions can make a huge difference in my life and happiness.
If you feel like you relate to what I shared earlier on in this blog, I highly recommend making a couple, achievable resolutions/goals that may help you create a little momentum for yourself. Let me tell you this…the past few years I’ve slept on making these goals for myself. I would ask myself, “What’s the point in making resolutions this year?” I never really got anywhere with this question but It did always provoke some thought on what I wanted to do with my life. I just never settled on resolutions this way. I will admit that I regret not holding myself more accountable for the life I was living. Regardless, I am excited to finally be committed to making this year better than last.
It’s never too late to start. If you are interested in creating some resolutions for yourself, but don’t know where to start, I am open to helping you navigate your thoughts. You can always reach me from the contact page. Or if you would prefer to do it alone I highly suggest writing them down on paper or typing them out in the note’s app on your phone. Just so then you can go back to them and read them aloud or visualize what each resolution means to you. If you feel comfortable you could even say them out loud to a friend or family member so they can hold you accountable. Whatever you feel is best for you is what will serve you the most when it comes to implementing these goals/resolutions into your life.
A few things I’m personally working on this year involves some soul searching. I am committed to taking back my happiness. This blog is actually one of my resolutions for the year. I’m holding myself accountable to commit to a new hobby or a new creative idea (a.k.a One Bite at a Time). In addition, I’ve decided to hold myself more accountable to save money this year. Financial wellness is something I've been wanting for a long time. If I can achieve this I'm almost certain that the majority of my stress will dissipate. Wish me luck on this one though. I’ve inherited some pretty bad habits from family over the years and will need a few prayers on this one. Let’s just say you’ll find me at my bed side every night hoping and praying that I can just save that extra twenty dollars I have instead of spending it on more snacks and a drink from Starbucks.
I’m not going to lie. I seemed to struggle the most in 2021 with my constant feeling of being emotionally and mentally drained. I’m hoping my resolutions will create some space for me to heal and explore my self-worth a bit more. Don’t get me wrong…it’s very important to give yourself a break and show some self-compassion. Therefore, I understand why in this moment it may be hard to imagine making resolutions for yourself. Sometimes you just have to focus on living for a bit. I totally get that. However, it is dangerous to prolong this period for too long. I learned that the hard way. Remember to pick yourself back up when you feel strong enough to move forward onto the next step. A few questions you can ask yourself to create momentum are:
1) What is the biggest stressor in my life right now, and can I do anything to reduce pressure on myself?
2) Where do I see myself in a year and what positive changes can I incorporate to make this happen?
3) What is the root to my problems or hardships, and how can I work on creating a safe space to analyze these roots?
I am in no way a “life guru” or qualified in any way to give direct life advice. Despite my lack of credibility, I am human just as you are. I have swallowed the hardest pills fairly early in life and I promise these blogs come from a genuine place in my heart. I just want you to know that you are not alone and I want to see every single one of you happy and thriving. The world is all kinds of messed up right now and I am definitely feeling the stress of it daily. If I’m in any way correct, I’m sure you’ve been feeling similar. A small piece of advice from an Ontarian in her early 20’s is…it’s okay to say “F*** it”. It’s okay to live your life unapologetically. I advise you to do exactly what is right and healthy for you. There is a lot of negativity, division, and strong opinions out there. There always has been but I’ve noticed it a lot more lately. I want you to know that despite everything that is happening in the world, I welcome you with open arms. I am manifesting happiness for us all.
Thank you so much for reading and being a part of my first ever blog post. This is such a monumental moment and I am so happy you were able to share it with me. You are incredible and welcome to the One Bite at a Time community. xx