#TEENTALK: Finding Happiness Where You Are Ft Absolutely Olivia

In life, there’s always this want for more: more money, more clothes, more friends, more *insert what you want more of here*.  Of course, it’s important to have dreams, set goals, and want to reach them, but there can come a point when healthy goal-setting evolves into an obsessive dampener on your own happiness.  As a teen, I struggle with this every day.  I find myself wanting to be somewhere I’m not or wishing I had a different talent or wanting to be grown up already so I can have complete control over my life.  I think “once I get this or do this, I’ll be happy.”  Then, these vicious cycles of thoughts make me lose sight of the happiness that already surrounds me.

However, over the past year, I’ve picked up on a few small ways that remind me of the happiness that surrounds me right here in the present.  And thanks to Elina’s amazing #TeenTalk series, I’m able to share 3 ways with you to find happiness with where you are in life!

PRACTICE GRATITUDE

First and foremost, when it comes to finding happiness in daily life, you have to practice gratitude.  Take time each day to reflect on what made you thankful today.  Ask yourself what people or moments or objects made you feel a little extra smiley and why.  Whenever I do this, my list ends up being longer than I ever would’ve expected, and I always get hit with the realization that there are too many good things in my present for me to be worried about the future.  So as your first step towards finding happiness in the now, I urge you to practice gratitude every day.  You’ll a lot of the stuff you want doesn’t compare to what you already have!

FIND JOY IN THE TINY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

It’s easy to feel down on yourself after a long day where you seemingly got nothing done.  Trust me, I know what it’s like to look back on your day and see unproductivity from start to finish.  But, sometimes that’s not the whole truth.  Just like practising gratitude, make a small list of tiny to-dos you accomplished throughout the day.  Sent an important email? Good for you!  Finished some homework? Woohoo, you go!  Did your makeup, made your bed, cooked dinner for the first time, landed a babysitting job? You’re killing it! After all, the mini feats are what sets up success for the big ones.  Take pride in your tiny accomplishments, just ‘cause they aren’t world-changing doesn’t mean they should make you any less happy!

DO WHAT YOU LOVE

I know, I know, this one sounds a bit cheesy… but it’s true.  Doing what you love is the ultimate key to happiness.  Even though you may be a teen and don’t have the perfect job or skillset that you want to have yet, you can still do what you love.  Join a club that aligns with your interests, seek out new relationships with people who have things in common with you, play a sport that gets you exhilarated, go be a social butterfly at a party!  It’s hard to be in love with what you’re doing and not be happy.  A lot of times, it takes courage and confidence to go out into the world and tackle your interests head-on (especially if they’re different from your peers), but it is worth it, I promise!

Being truly happy with where you are in life is the best feeling, and in the end is up to you to make happen.  Slowly, I’ve been attempting to make changes to find more solace in the now, and I hope you all will too!  After all, there’s no better time than the present, Thanks for reading!

Love, Olivia

www.absolutelyolivia.com

@absolutelyolivia

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *