Happiness - Is It Inside or Out?

I read an interesting quote today that got me thinking - Is our happiness inside or out? I know what you are asking “What the heck does he mean by that?” Well, is our happiness created by what happens around us or is it created by what we think inside us? I know - what came first, the chicken or the egg? Well first, let’s begin with the quote: “Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it.”, William Feather, 1889-1981, Writer.

How many of us, especially as Single Parents, get so caught up in every day life that we forget to take that moment to listen to what our kids have to share or that beautiful sunset on the way home. We have our kids in front of us every day and before you know it, they are off to college or out of the house and you ask how the time went so fast and you reflect on how much you missed of them growing up. Just like the song - “The Cats In The Cradle”, where the father never has time for his son until the son is grown up and has his own family and does not have time for the Dad.

I feel that life offers us so many opportunities at happiness each day but like a majority of us, we focus on all the bad things that happened during the day - Johnny spilled his milk all over the carpet and I was late for work and the work keeps piling up and I have to clean when I get home and before I realize it the kids are in bed and I hardly saw them and … What would happen if we slowed down enough to spend a half hour with our kids sharing what new and exiting things happened during the day or made time to watch a sunset with someone special or took time to look around at the color in the leaves as they change or what ever makes you smile. What would happen if we chose to not let what someone else does to us affect how we spend our day? Research shows that children laugh over 300 times a day whereas adults laugh only 15 times. They say this is because children laugh unconditionally while adults do so only if there is a cause. Think about that - how much happier are our kids then we are and why is that? Could it be because we choose to be “adults” who are expected to be serious all the time or can we choose to have some fun just because we want to. What is the first thing usually said when someone is having fun? “Stop fooling around and get to work!” Do we have to listen to societal pressures that say we have to act a certain way or can we give ourselves permission to act freely! Don’t we sometimes hear ourselves saying that to us? Can we just have fun for the sake of having fun? Can we be a “child” for a while and go make snow angels, stick our tongue out at someone or just laugh. Sure people might back away from you or role up there windows when they see you - but who is the one who is stressed and who is the one enjoying that moment of our life.

According to the U.S. Government, “97 % of all illnesses in the United States can be tied to stress.” As Single Parents, can we afford to be away from our kids as a result of an avoidable stress related illness? As Single Parents don’t we want to take control of our life and avoid illnesses? Can taking a small portion of your day to just have fun be such a price to ask? Isn’t spending that little extra time being silly with your kids and making memories before they are out of the house worth it?

I would really like to hear your thoughts. Please comment usig the Comment link below.

Until next time, remember to always be the parent you want to be! The best you canbe in that moment of time!

With Love, Peace and Power,

Ron Dilbert
Single Parent Power, Inc. - “Helping Families Grow”
www.SingleParentPower.com

rdilbert@SingleParentPower.com
516-355-1552

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” - Albert Einstein