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Metro

  • Written by Eric North aka “The Happiness Warrior”


I’ve always thought of life as a playing board in a challenging and rewarding game. While it may not always seem like we are winning, we always have the ability to make the next move or decision. Change is constant and the game is always before us. It’s not always fair, the results may be misleading, and it can be easy to stumble. We make mistakes, we can learn to forgive ourselves, and we develop into the best versions of ourselves. We can overcome anything when realize that the journey is the whole point of life.

The game of life is as eternal as humanity and our time as players is as finite as we are. There’s no end until the end. What matters is who we are right now.

Sometimes we might feel swept up in the current, but if we learn to swim through the hard parts we can float through the hard parts with a sense of balance and peace. We can reflect and make atonement when we understand that we are still flowing with the universe.

Oftentimes we can be stuck on one piece and forget about the others. We forget that we can forgive ourselves and move forward with momentum. Mindset is everything and the attitude we take aligned with our core values is our compass and guide. It helps us to understand that anything can happen to good people and learn to rise and accept our fate.

As The Happiness Warrior, I believe that we are all capable of far greater actions than we sometimes realize. We are stronger than we think and in times of crisis we can find both fortitude and resilience. We can choose to play the game at our best and utilize our inner powers and untapped resources. We can enjoy the wins and appreciate the wisdom from our losses. Mistakes can be made over and over again, but only we can change our patterns. We can be happier in the richness of our experiences and appreciate and share all that we have learned. We can focus on the process of enjoying the journey rather than fixating on the destination. Life can be a game that makes us happy, the choice is ours to make. The journey can be magical when we set our mind on being our best.

We set ourselves up for frustration and mental challenges when we have too many expectations for our lives. This leads to victimhood and lowers our ability and desire to feel happy.  We set ourselves up for frustration when our reality about life is far from our truth.

Expectations can keep us happy and always on the verge of change and excitement, or they can leave us feeling poorly used and disappointed.
 
I’ve always believed that there is always something better waiting for us and that expectations set us up for failure. The reality that we seek is found in our intention and our dreams. Expectations can alter our emotions and fill us with dread and doubt. We can steer the game and look for brighter landings when we are happy and living in the present. All that matters is how we’re feeling right now. This tends to set the game for more magic and happier surprises. Coincidence is no more real than the mindset that created it.  Believe in the truth and it will never fail us.

MINDSET IS EVERYTHING

As humans it’s possible for all of us to free ourselves to experience life fully, without judgment, fear, and disappointment. Live in the now and be aware of your physical and mental condition. How do we feel right now at this very minute? Do we have everything we need to be alive and happy? Ask yourself if you’ve made the mind-body connection.

Stop seeking perfection in others, they are on their own journey. We never know what anyone else is really thinking or going through. We can trust in our intuition to guide through these questions in life.

Expectations have a profound impact on our lives. They can affect our mood and overall outlook on life. This can affect our momentum and keep us feeling trapped and not moving forward. This is when expectations can be a burden. They limit our lives and prevent us from being our best.

They are dangerous when they are too lofty and lack clarity. There is no higher plan for our lives. It’s only sheer grit and determination that helps us write our narrative. We are the creators of the story of our lives as much as others want to control us. Life can be magical with limited expectations and serendipitous mindset. It can be meaner and bleaker when we are always disappointed.

When we are in a mindset for being our best every day, our expectations can be brighter and take on more purpose. We use this mindset to shape our reality. We can train ourselves to be ready for rapid changes and disruptions. We can be strong in our thinking and reliant on ourselves to make our lives happen.

CHAPTERS IN OUR LIVES

From my very first memories I was always eager to explore in search of new experiences and adventures. I would test the boundaries of my experience and I kept most of my exciting escapades to myself. I’ve repeated this pattern all through my life through travels, different careers, and friendships. It’s helped me to think of my life as a series of chapters and lessons. I look at life with a sense of momentum. What is true today might not be true tomorrow.

In a world of conformity and outdated norms, there is always someone who’s showing us the way to a better way of life and mindset. They are warriors in mindset and have reached an understanding of the importance of happiness and empathy in their lives. They live in truth and authenticity.

GRATITUDE

Cultivate a sense of gratitude and life will be more enjoyable. Surprises and shocks will be less upsetting when we are more at peace with our lives. That’s the way to find the balance that’s missing in our experience. It’s the path to moving forward and removing outdated ways and thinking.

Learn to enjoy the smallest moments and embrace the uncertainty of life.  Stop expecting specific outcomes and free yourself of disappointment and stress. There’s no need to live up to the standards of another if we are happy with how we represent ourselves. After all, expectations are only thoughts in our heads. The reality is always different and never as it seems. Perspective is different for all of us, but empathy and gratitude are universal.

When I’m struggling with a difficulty I often think about how it came to me and what caused me to create the problem. It’s better to redirect my thinking to a solution that I can envision myself and assume responsibility. Only I can create the solution and provide personal accountability. It enhances wisdom and life mastery. The journey is now in our actions and not in the future. As I often tell myself, “I’m a warrior, and I will not let myself or anyone else down”. This is the pathway that I choose to take on my journey. The journey of life is ours alone to take. When we live by our core values and instincts the journey will always keep us safe. We can weather any storm when we learn to steer our lives in the right direction that benefits us and those around us. We can be warriors for our lives and happiness every day!


ERIC NORTH - The Happiness Warrior

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