Happiness

I think we all have this vision of what we want our lives to look like. We have ages we wanted to accomplish milestones by. When our goals are not met, we feel like failures. Expectations are the thieves of our happiness. Standards are important, but I believe expectations are what rob us of enjoying the spontaneous, wonderful aspects of life. ☀️

When we expect something to go a certain way, or an experience to have a specific result, we are utterly disappointed when it doesn’t shake out the way we want it to. However, when there is no expectation, the good moments that happen seem amazing, rather than disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that you shouldn’t set goals. I think there is a big difference between standards and expectations. You can hold yourself and those around you to high standards. You will simply discard those who don’t meet your standards. In my opinion it is easier on your mind to keep your standards high, but lower your expectations.💕

What if we drop the concept of expectations and celebrate our victories. Set goals and have dreams. Work for them and enjoy the journey along the way. Life rarely turns out the way that you plan it to, so why be upset when it doesn’t pan out the way you expected? ✨

Start finding happiness in the small moments. Enjoy where you are. Something didn’t work out so that you would have the opportunity to embrace a different life. I had set a goal to move to Charleston. I did that. My expectations for what that would look like were vastly different than what really happened. I wouldn’t trade any of it because I am living a wonderful life. When I dropped the notion that I had to achieve milestones and live a certain way, I realized how happy I could be. 💗

More importantly, I found happiness within myself. I stopped relying on those around me to bring me joy. I surround myself with people who make me insanely happy and I am so grateful for them. However, I learned to find the happiness that I need within myself. Trust me, I still have bad days. I work every day to remind myself how wonderful I am, and how lucky I am to live the life that I do. 🌟

Take a day out of the week to indulge in simple pleasures. Begin and end your day with your favorite routines. Slow down and take time for yourself. Appreciate the chapter of life that you are in. They are all important and necessary so you might as well find the good in each one. 💛

Always find the good.

xoxo ~ Shelby