Okay so today I was talking to my friend Ellyn and of course, the conversation morphed into “What the hell is going on with this world?” It’s impossible to escape the absurdity looming around us like a giant cyclone of insanity.
Yet, as in any time of upheaval, sometimes it’s important to try and take some good from the situation, no matter how dire it all seems.
We agreed there was one positive upshot and it’s important to leap on and embrace it fully. The need to refocus on the little things has become imperative.
In these times of chaos when so many feel the world is imploding it’s impossible to feel in control of our own lives.
So what can someone do to recover some of the peace we so desperately need? In other words, how do we get our happiness back?
How do we feel positive again and remain focused on optimism and hope? How do we ensure our little corner of the world is still ours and ours alone to do with as we please?
Can we find joy amid the chaos? Is there a way to take back our little corner of the world even for just a moment or two?
It ain’t easy. When our world is spinning it’s awfully hard not to get dizzy. To prevent ourselves from falling (which is difficult on any day, anyway) and restore our sanity.
Human beings need a haven in any storm. We aren’t designed to live in constant turmoil with our minds constantly running wild and no peaceful spot in which to recline, catch our breath, and feel safe.
I believe that’s why there are flowers, gardens, meadows with singing birds, mountain tops, and huge fluffy clouds drifting through an azure sky.
How Do We Get Our Happy Back?
Our eyes need to see and hear peace to feel it within ourselves.
So what can we do to escape into our happy place?
I imagine we must first accept the fact that happy weeks, days, or months are pretty much almost impossible to achieve. Once we understand that, we should be able to embrace and enjoy a smaller portion of joy time.
It may be hours or even minutes in our happy place. Yet if we understand time there is short, we will absorb more joy from each moment.
Finding peace is much easier because we all know with few exceptions what brings us joy. This is a question we needn’t ask because we have already been there.
Time with our grandchildren or family members.
A fun dinner with friends, old or new.
Perhaps a tour of a local museum we’ve put off too long or an art gallery in a beautiful spot.
Have you watched a favorite movie that made you laugh so hard you cried?
Or a comedian who left you with spasms of laughter? Most comics have their acts up on the Internet now. Instagram Reels seems to be overflowing with hysterical moments of laughter by some very funny comics. And please let’s not forget the adorable antics of kittens and puppies.
One of my happy places is escaping into a good book. It doesn’t matter what genre. A great mystery can keep you attentive indefinitely.
Sometimes when we feel that lack of control it’s good to call a friend. One who is feeling or has felt the same way. After venting it’s important to end the conversation on the positives and be left in a better place than before you spoke.
Okay, I’ll go there. Yes, a favorite food. I said it. This diet-obsessed nut is one of many, many foodies that still find some solace in that perfect bite.
It doesn’t matter what the food is because even a good diet meal can taste great. I don’t think anyone is surprised to hear that for me the happiest place on earth isn’t Disneyland, but anywhere I’m biting into a piece of chocolate.
If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we must be content to find our place to thrive in chaos. Most did, but many succumbed to the awfulness and lack of control.
Yet there were new hobbies, new interests, and new accomplishments during that period that served to lead us through the darkness to the other side. Many discovered talents long hidden but now much enjoyed.
I don’t have any answers to the big questions confronting us today. Sadly, it seems leaders don’t either, and that in itself is a reason to be afraid. We are all watching frightful events that once seemed unfathomable and so many are depressed about the lack of control and chaos.
Humans must be safe to feel safe and now it seems almost impossible to maneuver the craziness thrown at us each day.
Where can we hide, how do we duck quickly with arthritis-filled knees, what can we do to improve things?
Only do what we can to help ourselves and our loved ones find their happy place.
I wish I were a Yogi and could meditate myself onto a higher plane, but right now I’m quite earthbound.
Perhaps it’s time for a little transcendental meditation, but I must ultimately return to this planet and the eye of the hurricane.
For me, it’s been a challenge to ignore the craziness and find ways to find that inner peace. However maybe in some ways, it’s easier because now it’s so necessary we feel more compelled to seek it out.
At least we can all escape to our little moments of joy and find calm and happiness there.
I wish that for you all until sanity is hopefully restored in the world.
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