Deliberate mindset shifts are some of the biggest keys in how to be happier overall
Mindset is everything. The thoughts we choose to think, the way we choose to view any situation, the stories we tell ourselves…are all part of our power to create our more joyful, successful, dynamic lives on purpose. This is great news, because it means that with a few (or more!) life-changing mindset shifts, we can choose to be in charge and be the happiest, highest version of ourselves much more often, if not most of the time. Deliberate mindset shifts are some of the biggest keys to how to be happier overall. Who doesn’t want that?
Now, nobody is perfect at this, and life’s not always rainbows and ice cream for anyone. But. you have much more power in this area than you think! It’s about not just sitting back and letting life happen to you – you need to happen to life!
Our mind takes deliberate management and attention to support us in creating and experiencing the life, joy, and energy we want. It’s vitally important to be willing and open to putting in the effort. This means learning new mental and emotional skills and practicing the skill of being highly aware of thought patterns, habits, and personal energies (both the positive and the unhelpful). Without regular mindset work, it’s easy for negative thoughts, stories, habits, and views that don’t serve us to creep in and take over. Think of these like mold – if you don’t clean them up right away, they spread and get out of hand.
I do mindset work daily and have for years. And, I pay special attention to it when life throws me lemons (or grenades!). I can’t express enough how this has enhanced my life for the better. I’ve experienced so many incredible shifts, created supportive habits, leveled up my physical and emotional energies, and healed many old wounds (and learned to healthfully manage a couple of big ones).
There are so many shifts you can make – big and small – that are incredibly empowering. I cover dozens of them in my book, Operation Happiness. I wanted to share three of my favorites with you in this post to help inspire you to up your game. So, here are 3 life-changing mindset shifts for joy and success that have been some of the keys to my own transformation. They can be for you too!
You can be grateful for all you have and still refuse to settle for less than you deserve
Gratitude is powerful. Just closing your eyes for a minute or two and focusing on a few things you’re grateful for can bring a boost of happiness and peace. And, there’s a lot of confusion and myths about it out there too. Some messaging says that if we want more in life it means we’re somehow ungrateful for what we already have. Let’s be clear about something: You can be grateful for all the good you have and still refuse to settle for less than you deserve. It’s okay to want more out of life than you have right now! Your goals, dreams, and desires matter and are part of what makes life exciting and fulfilling! It’s perfectly okay to want more with confidence and without apology.
Being grateful for all the good things in your life right now is a wonderful thing. It can literally empower you to take the key steps and make the empowered choices that will lead you to even more good things! And, since we know that what we focus on expands, focusing on the good through practicing gratitude will naturally help attract more abundance, joy, and positive energy into your life.
Connect with the highest version of you more often
The highest and very best version of yourself is always within you to connect with…to be. There are some days when this happens naturally. Those days you wake up feeling happy for no particular reason and full of great energy! You’re cheerful, life is aglow, and you’re ready for the next level! But, for days like this to happen more often, it takes practice and mindset work. The great news is that when you practice it enough and do the work, you’ll find yourself having more A-game days than you ever have before!
One of my favorite mindset practices for bringing out my best self is to check in with her regularly. When I have a decision to make or am taking on a new project, I take some time to go within and ask, “What would the highest version of me do with this? How would she handle it?” The answers are always there, and some of them catch me off guard! And, they’re always on point! My highest self is my very best guide for just about everything.
Try it now. Close your eyes and ask your highest self a question and see what comes. Then, create the goal of regularly practicing this, which will also help you actually be that version of you more often, until it becomes natural – because that really is who you are! You are amazing!
Go after the feeling, not the thing
I wrote in detail about this one a while back in this post, and in Operation Happiness. It just might be one of the biggest realizations and mindset shifts there is when it comes to having the life you want sooner – and to feeling the way you want to feel more regularly.
When we desire something, it’s not actually the “thing” we want, but the FEELING we’ll have when we get it.
Why is this fabulous news? Because it means that by recognizing the feelings we’re desiring, we can find ways to generate them now instead of having to wait for that thing. This is not to say scrap all those things on your list of desires. By all means go after them! This concept is simply to say that cultivating the feelings we want to feel by using the resources we have on hand now to do so can be life-changing. It’s a skill that can have us feeling more of the feelings we want more of the time. This concept can change the entire way you experience life.
Here’s a small example, but this basic idea can apply in so many areas! I’ve been trying to cut back on buying clothing and be much more intentional when I do make purchases. I just don’t need anything right now and I’m happy with where my closet’s at. So, when I feel tempted to shop or buy a cute dress I see on a blogger, the first thing I do now is shop my own closet. I go in, move a few things around, put together new outfit combos, spot a few cute things I forgot I had that I feel excited about putting back in to my style rotation…and BAM! The feelings of new outfit energy are there and I didn’t need to spend a penny! Plus, it’s so much more fun than hitting “add to cart.”
Think about the things you currently want, the core desired feelings you’re after, and see if you can find ways to create those feelings now. You may even discover that it’s not even the thing you wanted after all, just the feeling. How freeing!
If it’s more joy you’re after, a couple of great quick ways to feel a boost are to make someone else laugh (tell a joke, run around and act silly, make a goofy face) or put on some loud music and have a solo dance party. After more mental clarity and positive energy? Step up your exercise habits, try breathing exercises to get some oxygen to your brain, or even ask your doctor if there are some supplements that may be of help (a daily B-complex has changed my life). When feelings of abundance and wealth are what you’re looking for, look around at all you currently have and cultivate feelings of gratitude when you realize how abundant you actually are right now. Opening my refrigerator can do this for me – I feel grateful every time. Marianne Williamson has said, “Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.” Yes!
I hope this has been helpful for you! Let me know your thoughts in the comments or over on the socials. I love hearing from you! And, if you haven’t already, be sure to download my free audio class, “The 11 Habits of the Happiest People” at the bottom of this page. Have a beautiful day!
For more ideas, join me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and check out my book Operation Happiness – The Three Step Plan to Creating a Life of Lasting Joy, Abundant Energy, and Radical Bliss, available in hardcover and as an audiobook. You can also download my complimentary audio class, The 11 Habits of the Happiest People below. Thanks for stopping by! xo
