How to be Happy Where You Are

When you have big dreams or goals, it’s often difficult to be happy where you find yourself right now. You want to “be” somewhere else already. You’re impatient or frustrated. And so you become unhappy.

The key to achieving your goals and manifesting your dreams lies in being happy with where you are—your current situation.

I know. That seems difficult if not impossible. But it’s not.

To be happy…no matter what…does take work, however.

Why You Must Be Happy Where You Are

When you find yourself unhappy with your current situation, you place yourself in lack. You are here but you want to be there. There is the place you’ll be when you achieve your goal or realize your dream. But you aren’t there yet; you don’t have there at this moment.

That sense of I don’t have what I want yet puts you into lack. And out of the feeling of not having stem those of frustration, discouragement, unhappiness, and hopelessness.

These so-called negative emotions emit a negative energy. And they come from your negative thoughts.

If you believe in the Law of Attraction, or like attracts like, you realize that the more focused you are on what you don’t have, the more you create not having it. And your negative thoughts and energy attract more of what you don’t want.

That will never make you happy.

3 Ways to Move Into Happiness—Despite Your Situation

So how can you learn to be happy…no matter what? Here are three ways that work for me and that have proven to work for many other people as well.

1. Gratitude

When you feel angry, sad, frustrated, not good enough, or unappreciated…or any other negative emotion that makes you unhappy about your current situation, move into gratitude.

You probably are thinking There is nothing about my current situation for which I feel grateful.

You can do this! Remember, you want to be happy!

Consider the things in your life for which you feel grateful. For example, you might feel grateful to have a job, a roof over your head, someone willing to listen to your griping, the opportunity to grow and change through this condition, a sunny day, rain, a dog or cat, ice cream for dessert, or pizza for dinner.

You get the idea.

Focus on something that makes you feel good. Switch your thoughts to something that makes you happy or that you appreciate.

Stop focusing on what you don’t want and focus on what you do want. Or focus on something…anything…good in your life…and appreciate that.

Appreciate the fabulous feeling you will have when you achieve your goal. Feel grateful for the opportunity you will have to celebrate the realization of your dream.

I know there is a tendency to say, “I can’t feel grateful for something I don’t have yet,” but you can.

2. Visualization

Use visualization to help you feel appreciation for what you don’t have or haven’t experienced yet. Imagine it. Feel it.

Visualize your goal accomplished. How would you feel? How would you behave? What would you think? How happy would you be?

Go there… Be in the experience.

Again, I realize this can feel almost impossible when you haven’t yet experience that desired condition…but you can do it. Get out of I can’t and I don’t have it and into I can and I want and, ultimately, “I have.”

When you can see yourself in your desired situation, you convince your mind it is possible to get there. Not only that, you generate the positive energy necessary to attract it to you.

Your negative emotions and thoughts put out negative energy that pushes what you want away. So switch that up by visualizing your dreams come true. Vibrate with what you desire.

3. Feel Your Way In

Emotions are critical to this visualization process and to creating what you want in life. Therefore, as you visualize having what you want, feel how it will feel to have it.

If you are one of the many people who have trouble seeing mental pictures—imagining, no worries. Just focus on feeling what it would be like to have your desire.

Get to a place where you feel the emotion that goes with having your desire.

If at all possible, visualize as well. But if you struggle to see yourself in the situation you desire—having what you want, you can create a vision map or book. Create a collage of images and sayings that illicit the emotional response you seek. Look at those pictures daily to help you visualize yourself in the same “pictures” and generate the positive feelings that go with them.

Additionally, when you find yourself stuck in negative thoughts and emotions, find a trigger to help you switch into positivity and happiness.

For example, let’s say you had a horrible day at work. You come home, sit on the couch, and start obsessively thinking about everything that happened and feeling increasingly more terrible in the process. When you realize you are doing this—and, yes, you must become conscious of this habit—get up. Do ten jumping jacks or take 20 deep breaths to change the energy in your body. Then do something to trigger your mind to focus on something else, such as telling yourself, “I frickin’ rock!” “I’ve got this,” “I won’t let today’s events ruin my evening.”

Or pet your cat or dog. Go for a walk in nature or to the gym. Sit down at the computer and research new jobs or ways to handle whatever happened at work differently.

Take action that changes your mood. That will change your energy, too.

Don’t Negate Negative Emotions

I’m not saying you should negate your negative emotions. In fact, you want to feel them! Get them out. Don’t shove them under the rug, or you’ll trip over them when you least expect it…and when they least serve you.

Feel your emotions, and then move on. You can even set a timer. Let yourself rant and rage and cry for 20 minutes.

When the alarm rings, turn all that negative energy into positive energy. Take your anger, frustration, and hurt and put it into a positive focus. Say affirmations…make positive declarations…do something that moves you toward your goal or dream.

Be happy.

Remember, all that emotion is energy! Use it for good…to create what you want.

How do you stay happy…no matter what?

Photo copyright: creaktivahost