Stuck in Short-Lived Happiness

It seems like every time I find myself feeling really good and happy about my life, it is short-lived.  One minute I’ll be happy and in no time at all something will happen to throw me into a tailspin and I don’t know which way is up! How can I stay happy for longer periods of time?

~ Melissa, Indiana

Dear Melissa,

First of all, I so know what you’re going through!  Truth is, we all do.  What you are experiencing is the Law of Opposites at work; that is, as soon as you make a declaration to the Universe (i.e. “I am happy.”), its exact opposite will show up in some way.  Admittedly, this experience can be frustrating, especially if you aren’t aware of what’s really going on.  But the existence of this law isn’t to punish or to deter us, it actually helps us create what we want in life.

Allow me to explain.  The Law of Opposites is based on the principle: “In the absence of that which you are not, that which you are, is not.”  In other words, you cannot know yourself as happy unless you know of the experience of sadness.  If you were happy all the time, and were only surrounded by happiness, you would cease to even know what happiness really is.  But when its opposite shows up, and you experience that contrast, your experience of happiness becomes greater.  So you see, the Law of Opposites works in harmony with what you are trying to create more of.  The key is to recognize what’s happening and choose happiness again.

So the next time you have this experience, in whatever context, try this:

Step 1: The moment you notice the seemingly not-so-great stuff showing up in your world, take the time to stop and recognize what’s happening.  Choose to see it as the Law of Opposites doing its part to bring you what you have called forth.  If you dare to, choose to see the “bad” stuff as a sign that the process of creation is indeed working, and say “thank you.”

Step 2: Make a new choice, or, rather, choose your original thought again.  For example, if your original declaration was “I am happy,” then choose it again, and focus on everything that is alignment with happiness.  Make the conscious choice to not give any more energy to the negative stuff that is appearing in your reality.

Step 3: Pat yourself on the back for being the creator of your own experience.

I’m not saying applying any of this is easy, unless it is, of course.  But I am saying with a little conscious thought, intention and awareness, you can have an entirely different experience than the one you mentioned in your question.  Good luck!

Nova

 

(Nova Wightman is a CWG Life Coach, as well as the owner and operator of Go Within Life Coaching, www.gowithincoaching.com, specializing in helping individuals blend their spirituality with their humanity in a way that makes life more enjoyable, easy, and fulfilling.  She can be reached at Nova@theglobalconversation.com. )

(If you would like a question considered for publication, please submit your request to: Advice@TheGlobalConversation.com, where our team is waiting to hear from you.)

Comments

2 responses to “Stuck in Short-Lived Happiness”

  1. mewabe Avatar
    mewabe

    What you attempt to hold on to escapes you the moment you attempt to hold it, just as water would escape from within a clenched fist. Instead, make your hand into an empty cup, and you can hold the water.

    Happiness may remain with you when you make yourself empty, remaining free of expectations, and not grasping, not attempting to hold onto anything. Just let it be, and if it comes and go, let it. Love is the same by the way…attempt to grasp and it will escape you, or die a premature death.

    Attempting to hold on to anything is a desperate act that betrays a condition of perceived lack. What you know you do not lack, you cannot ever loose. What you know you are, you cannot ever not be, except in a temporary loss of memory.

    You are bliss, your soul is joy, eternally. All else is a temporary distraction whose birthplace is in the mind that is not in touch with the soul.

  2. Marko Avatar
    Marko

    Good advice Nova, well articulated. I would add that we don’t have to always have opposites show up,– & if they do, they are always temporary.

    I would also contribute that we don’t always need such huge exaggerated contrasts to point out differences of how life is showing up. Though when they do, there is good reason for it. That is, exaggeration gets our attention more.

    Later as we grasps these concepts more, we will have less need to have such contrasts show up so oppositely & they can become less severe as our lessons or remembrances are such that they are no longer or less necessary to carry on how we view, define & experience life.

    Another way to look at the concept of opposites is emotional “chemicalization” as in when a scientist mixes two ingredients that create a new chemical reaction, it’s because a new mixture is being created and when the smoke settles a newer more beneficial composition has occurred even though at first it seemed something quite different.

    This can happen to us on a emotional awareness processing level.

    Sometimes too, a person still is dealing with the idea that when things go well or get better or really great, something bad has to happen. This is a very prevalent world belief & this idea in this person may still be playing itself out in varying degrees.

    In such cases our further growth lessens & lessens this belief where it’s prelevancy is no longer required or necessary.

    Magical blessings,
    -Marko

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