True, lasting happiness comes from consistently doing things that bring long term joy, and avoiding things that provide instant gratification.
We all have things that instantly provide us with some sort of temporary happiness. Not all of these things are bad. For example, if I'm in a bad mood or feeling down or depressed, I will text or call a loved one and instantly feel better. But, many things that provide a sort of instant sense of satisfaction do not provide long term happiness. The euphoric feeling lasts seconds, minutes, or hours, but by the next day, you're back in a slump.
I have found that by doing things that initially require a little bit of uncomfortable work, but ultimately provide some sort of reward, bring true lasting happiness.
Which brings me to my story of finding happiness in my everyday life. I have been on quest to feel better about myself, to find joy in the little things, and to just be comfortable in my own skin. The whole process has required much work, and I often wondered if it would all be worth it in the end. But, by consistently doing these slightly uncomfortable, hard tasks, I am finally able to say that I am truly happy.
Starting college as a freshman, I really embraced the whole "freshman 15" thing. In high school, I was extremely active and could really eat however I pleased without seeing any effect on my body. But, this did not ring true when I entered college. I was eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, without a second thought about what it was doing to my body. And, I rarely exercised. I gained weight, lost energy, and had an overall poor outlook on life through my entire freshman and sophomore years of college.
Then, the summer before my junior year, I had a reality check. I was at the doctors office getting my final check-up before my sinus surgery. The nurse did her the typical things, like check my height, blood pressure, and then my weight. And I was utterly shocked by the number I saw on the scale. I truly hadn't realized just how bad things had gotten with my body. I was overweight, and was seeing the effects of this in many aspects of my life.
That is when I decided it was time to make a change. Time to treat my body the way it deserves to be treated. And time to feel better about myself and find true happiness.
Over the course of the next few months, I lost weight, exercised often, ate healthy, became more religious, and, you guessed it, FOUND HAPPINESS! These things I was doing daily, like hitting the gym, paying close attention to exactly what I was eating, and working hard to develop a relationship with God, were not easy by any means. But they have ultimately brought me what I was looking for: happiness.
So, I am starting this blog in hopes to inspire others who have found themselves in a slump and want to get out. Because I have ultimately found happiness through gaining a greater self esteem by treating my body right, I will focus on healthy eating, recipes, and exercise. Whether you want to lose weight or just want to be an all around healthier person, I hope you can find some inspiration within this blog. Find your happiness and then feed your happy! :)
