Admit What Makes You Happy, Then Do It

14 Jan

IMG_0665It’s really easy to talk ourselves into or out of almost anything.

For instance, talking ourselves out of doing what we love because it’s “too hard” “too impossible” “too impractical” etc. etc.  And it’s easy to talk ourselves into doing what we aren’t all that crazy about because “it’s not that bad” “it’s comfortable” “it pays well”and so on and so forth. And then you get used to it– the mediocre job. It becomes habit. What you know. You really convince yourself that you’re kinda sorta I guess perhaps sure why not happy there. And before you know it, months or years have past and you’re still doing that mediocre thing that your heart is simply not into but you’ve somehow managed to believe is the right thing to do!

And then… despite your crazy busy schedule and exhaustion, you’ve managed to force yourself to go to an event, one that is not in the world of your day job, but in the world of your dream job, and suddenly you remember what happy really feels like. “Oh yeah!” your heart says. “This feels nice.” You want more. You want to be surrounded by those people, talking about those things. And you just have to admit it. ADMIT IT! (I’m yelling at myself now here). THIS is what makes you happy!

A fellow artist shared this great 3 minute video narrated by Alan Watts. It cuts through a lot of that compromising talk artists find themselves thinking and gets to the heart of it all: find what makes you happy and keep doing it.

Every time I find myself straying away from doing the things I love, I get the inevitable itch that subconsciously pulls me to some sort of artistic event– a play, an artist talk, a gallery opening, a writing workshop, etc. I come away from the event feeling motivated, creative, happy. This isn’t new, I know. I’ve written about such an experience before. I just have to keep reminding myself (and lucky you, that usually happens publicly on this blog) what it is that makes me truly happy and trusting that instinct. It’s never steered me wrong.

So, ADMIT IT. What makes you happy?