HOW TO BE HAPPY WHEN LIFE GETS TOUGH
- Written by Eric North aka “The Happiness Warrior”
Early this month in a way too rapid sequence of events, I underwent bi-quad surgery. I had never had any surgical procedures in my life, and I found myself facing a multitude of unknowns. My muscle tears were almost symmetrical and would require reattachment to the knee. For the next twelve-weeks I would begin to repair my body through strenuous physical therapy, healing, personal growth, and eventual full use of my legs again.
In almost a blink of an eye my life had flipped upside down and I needed help to set myself right once again. Suddenly my everyday confidence and physical strength that I always rely on had left me and I found myself temporarily disabled and in need of help. As my surgeon said, “no one expects to be disabled until it happens”. His wise words gave me a boost of courage when I needed it most, just what I needed to feel hope and resilience. I know that I will heal and get better in time, but this is my life in the present and how I choose to live it will define and guide my recovery.
My delicate operation took just over three hours. I was under sedation for almost seven and I woke up anxious and confused. My operation had lasted for about three hours, and it took me four more to reach full consciousness. The surgery was a success and each tendon had been sewn and reattached with precision. Without surgery I would never walk on my own again and there was only one path ahead. As the anesthesia wore off, I felt a brief moment of fear but pulled myself together and told myself that all is well. I’m not the Happiness Warrior for nothing and summoned my reserve of courage and felt a sense of relief. Surgery had been a great adventure that I hadn’t asked for, but I was feeling happy and wanted to go home. When we believe in ourselves and can find happiness in adversity, we can create a greater mindset for healing and well-being.
I’ve worked hard in my life to intentionally surround myself with good people and fortune was on my side. My surgeon was one of the best and I would be his last surgery before retirement. I surrendered to the process and was honored that I was to be his last procedure and I wanted it to be his best! I knew that I was in good hands, and his words gave me courage. Life gives us challenges, but in my subconsciousness, I felt a surprising feeling that I was embarking on a journey to find myself and increase my sense of purpose. I knew at that moment that the process of healing was going to be an incredible experience that was going to change my life forever.
The next day I was in a lot of pain but I understood that it was a part of the process. In the late morning, my surgeon called and told me that he was confident that it had gone well. He wanted to leave his long and brilliant career on a high note and told me that it had been a profound experience. When we have passion for what we do we are always the best and I found comfort and courage in his words.
I’ve often heard that to expand our consciousness, we need to “kill” ourselves sometimes to learn and grow. In many ways I was truly killing once and for all, long forgotten fears and self-doubts. I know without doubt that this chapter in my life is going to change who I am and make me a better version of myself. My intention is set on learning to cope and thrive while I’m healing and become stronger every day. I will live more fully in the present and I’m journaling my thoughts and solutions. Living in the present is to live without fear.
My intuition had been telling me before the accident that my life is on the verge of a great reset and perhaps what had happened to me has more purpose than pain? I’d been humbled, let go of my ego, found more empathy, and gained a greater understanding of what suffering means. Most of all I felt like I’m on a greater mission and that life is expanding.
By creating a mindset of healing and capability, we can overcome anything that we set our sights on. With this mindset we can make sense of our misfortune to realign and renew the path ahead. Every minute is another minute to heal and feel whole again.
As humans we are programmed to strive for more, and I vowed that I would honor both myself and my surgeon by doing my best every day. Keeping promises to ourselves is important, and as The Happiness Warrior, I feel a strong sense of personal responsibility along with boundless gratitude. The road ahead will have challenges, it will hurt sometimes as I heal, but it will also raise my energy and vibration. No matter how I’m feeling, I say my morning affirmation “Eric it’s going to be a great day!” Affirmations are an easy tool for all of us can use to set our own destiny by raising our self-belief. When we use the power of intention, we raise our energy to a higher level and connect with the healing energy of the universe.
Becoming The Happiness Warrior was a serious decision, and I knew that it carried responsibilities and absolute commitment. Authenticity is everything to me and personal responsibility is a way of life. In just one year it has changed the very core of my being and helped me to see the world around me in greater detail. Finally, at fifty-seven I’m fully learning the beauty and peace of mind that comes from living in the present.
EACH STEP PRESENTS ITSELF WHEN WE’RE READY
We often speak or hear about the great benefits that come when we allow ourselves to “live in the present”. This means to live life without fear of the unknown and worrying about imaginary future events. It’s the ability to live with forgiveness for our past and let go and be happy. Living in the present is truly about opening our minds and seeing life on our own terms with honesty and authenticity.
There’s so much we ignore and pass by on our rush through our modern lives that can make us miss so much. Information is always at our fingertips, and we find ourselves moving fast to the next shiny thing that catches our attention. As someone who’s known for his machine-like qualities, I have learned to slow down and truly see life in much greater detail with all my senses heightened. Living in “the present” is the most important lesson of all!
REAL GRATITUDE
Gratitude is something that comes up in much of my writing and discussions. It’s something I’ve always had in abundance in my life’s journey, but also something that I’ve sometimes taken for granted. Gratitude has taken on a whole new meaning in my current state of healing and forgiveness. I’m more focused on the meaning and less on our societal sense of obligatory gratitude that we often see around us. Authenticity takes on a new dimension when we feel the powerful emotions that come with true gratitude.
Although my knees will be immobilized for the next few weeks and I’m in crutches. I’m grateful beyond measure for everything that I do have. I’m safe, learning more about myself, feel loved, and feel at one with the universe. I know with certainty that each step will appear before me just when I need it and I know that all will be well.
VISUALIZE AND DREAM
When I first got hurt and for a day or two after surgery I was in a lot of pain. I know that pain can also be self-created and that I could use breathing skills to change my perception. I told myself that I won’t accept pain going forward and within hours I could feel it lessen. It was still there but I wouldn’t allow it to dominate my thoughts. By removing it from my consciousness, I was able to keep it in check and in the background. Pain is there to teach us, but we don’t need to accept and feed it with negative emotions and fear.
Another great tool for healing is to visualize ourselves doing something we enjoy when we are well. Do it often, do it when you feel discouraged, and know that you can make it real. Throughout this process, I visualized myself walking with my dogs in the woods in the early morning.
HEALING AND SURRENDER GO TOGETHER
Surrender is hard for those of us with warrior-like natures. We’re trained to serve for the greater good and to ask for help or admit defeat is usually not an option. I learned a great lesson in humility and kindness when I let go and asked for help. I had to tell myself that there was nothing to fear, and that healing would be faster and better once I gave myself permission to let go and trust that I was in the best hands.
As I continue to heal, I look forward to sharing my story. There’s a message here that I need to learn and understand further. I want my solutions to resonate with others and help us create a better outlook and place of healing. I’m happy and excited for what the universe holds.
