Late Night/Early Morning Happiness Post

Random events have been happening that have made me think of what happiness is and what sort of things I am going to have to do in order to obtain it. I was wondering whether it is immaturity that is causing me to be unable to deal with life´s challenges....or my sensitivity...my desire to please others..... or something else. Here are 10 rules I am going to try to live my life by from now on.

1. Love myself. I am the only me I have, and if I am consantly down on myself I am never going to be happy with what my life is. That doesn´t mean do whatever I want, but really accept and love myself to the heart of who I am, good bad and ugly. I think as a Christian I can love myself and have self esteem but still hate sin and bad things that I may think, say, or do. God made me to be the best parts of me, for His purposes. He wants me to influence people positively and help them to see Him in the good parts of Me. (Deep enough for you?)
2. Be around positive people who accept me for me and who do not dictate who I am or my level of happiness. Other people can add to my happiness, but if I am going to live a happy life, I need to be joyful regardless of the circumstances. My sis said something to that effect. I think especially after my long-term relationship that lasted most of my college years, my priorities were messed up. Only I can make me happy by being who I am. A job, relationship, marriage, kids....that only adds to the happiness. But if I am seeking out those things in order to be happy, I will not ever feel it.
3. Be passionate about the things I choose to do, not lukewarm. Life is not worth living if I am not pursuing something I really love. I think my problem with teaching right now is that all my love for the subject matter has been overshadowed by discipline problems. When I went to school to be a teacher I reflected back on the fun, educational times that I experienced with my teachers. I love Spanish, literature, and sharing my talents. Perhaps I need to re-evaluate what sort of environment could help me to experience my passions in the right way.
4. Appreciate the people around me who support me, and pray for those who don´t.
5. Not try to escape, distract myself, etc from my responsibilities. This represents both something tangible (undone dishes in the sink) and something more abstract (an attitude I find myself having in times when I would much rather cry than try). I need to handle challenges by putting my best effort forward. If even after that I fail, it was not a challenge I was meant to overcome right now.
6. Enable myself to do the things I enjoy, in spite of what anyone else might think.
7. Not fear failure so much that I do not do something that would enrich my life.
8. Accept the fact that maybe I am a person who isn´t meant to be a social butterfly. A person can have a rich life with a small circle of friends and family. In fact, then I have a lower probability of being let down.
9. Lean on those who have proven themselves worthy of my trust.
10. Not try to make the romance thing happen if it isn´t meant to. Right now working on me is really what is going to pay off when I look back on my life on my death bed, not seeking a man to make me feel needed and wanted. Oscar Wilde said that to love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. It certainly isn´t selfish or egotistical to love who I am. I am certainly worth it. The One I am meant to be with is out there, and God really wants me to know who I am and what I want before he may reveal that guy to me.