A few weeks ago I wrote about how happiness is a choice. It is not a situation that, if we are lucky enough, we experience. Nor is it a goal that we someday hope to reach.

 

No, happiness is found or lost in all of the little decisions that we make each and every day. It is the choice of perspective.

 

I believe that an important part of living your Custom Built Life™ is being able to choose happiness. That’s why I’ve joined host and bestselling Publisher Linda Joy as a Sacred Sponsor of the Choosing Happiness Crusade and Video Series.

 

This inspirational series features 30 intimate soul-inspiring video conversations created to inspire YOU to believe that despite the messiness of life – happiness is within reach. Unlike other “interview” style events, Linda’s style makes you feel like you are sitting at the kitchen table with your dearest friends getting real, raw and vulnerable!

 

Reserve your seat today at www.ChoosingHappinessCrusade.com and receive access to 30 happiness videos and 42 inspiring gifts.

 

The Biggest Obstacle to Happiness

The biggest obstacle that I have encountered to choosing happiness for myself is my expectations. If I am not careful, my expectations can rule my happiness.

 

If my expectations are met or exceeded in certain situations, I tend to feel happy, possibly even overjoyed or victorious.

 

However, sometimes when my expectations are not met, if I am not vigilant, I can end up feeling victimized or even like life is treating me unfairly. It’s easy to ask myself, “How can I possibly feel happy when something bad is happening to me?”

 

How to Clear the Obstacle

The answer is to let go of the expectations that you went into the situation with and accept what is. I admit this is a simple answer, but not an easy one. It requires trusting that there is a reason for “what is” and that reason is a benefit to you even if you can’t see it in the moment and may never be able to see the benefit, even in hindsight.

 

Let me tell you story from my life that will help illustrate what I am talking about.

 

Unmet Expectations

When I was “let go” from my first job out of college the situation certainly did not meet my expectations. I had expected to work in that job for a couple of years, then get promoted to a higher level job, and after some time and maybe more than one promotion move on to another company at a time of my choosing.

 

Instead I found myself unemployed and with slightly less than two years experience in an entry level position. I also found myself responsible for a large rent payment and car payment.  And given the costs of setting up life after college I had no savings. Things looked grim and I was not very happy.

 

Perspective Shift

Now that many years have passed, I can see that getting let go from my first job was actually a three-fold blessing.

 

First, when looking for a new job I focused my search on the area where Dave lived. I was lucky enough to find something that allowed me to move to within 15 to 20 minutes of where he lived. This meant I didn’t have to choose between being closer to Dave versus staying in an area I knew well.

 

Second, while working at the new job, I met my first life coach. In fact, she introduced me to the field of life coaching because I had not heard of it before meeting her. And it was while working with her that I first thought I could see myself supporting others in that way.

 

Finally, in the new job I was given more responsibility and did get promoted several times, giving me more experience and more confidence in my skills. And through all of these different positions and experiences I realized that the corporate world really wasn’t for me. Had I stayed with the first company, I might have thought the parts I disliked were unique to that company and not a more common pattern among corporations.

 

So with hindsight, I can see that a situation I originally was very unhappy about because it did not meet my expectations, really turned into a huge blessing in my life!

 

Your Assignment

Are there any situations in your life which currently aren’t meeting your expectations? Can you find a way to change your perspective and be open to trusting that it will all work out for your benefit if you look at the long term impacts of it? If you can detach from your expectations and shift your perspective you will find it easier to choose happiness today.

 

If you would like more insight and inspiration on how to choose happiness in your own life, reserve your seat today and receive access to 30 happiness videos at www.ChoosingHappinessCrusade.com