Spring is my favourite time of the year. With the sun making more of an appearance, it's the season which represents rejuvenation and positivity. Soon blossom and bluebells will decorate the U.K, creating a temporary fairy world full of beauty and innocence. It's the season I most appreciate with the mix of a cool breeze and warm sunshine, nature is neither stunted by the icey winds or parched by harsh rays of sun. There is a certain feeling of balance and harmony.
Spring is a time to be happy, but staying positive is a hard thing to do, especially when it's so easy to be weighed down by peer pressure and social expectations. I've found it particularly hard to find a balance because I've always cared too much about what other people thought of me. I lived to please other people rather than being satisfied with making myself happy. I even doubted my own happiness if somebody questioned it. One negative remark could wipe away a dozen positive ones.
Sometimes you just need to take a step back, spend time alone, and ask yourself, what makes you happy?
I'm currently reading 'The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for living' by the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler. In it the Dalai Lama states 'The purpose of life is to be happy' something so simple and obvious but easily overlooked. If you don't like your current situation, then change it! You need to stay true to yourself and find happiness. For me, that meant detaching myself from people who made me feel bad about myself and who stunted my growth, even if that meant i'd be alone.
I hate the negative association with being alone, I am and always have been an introvert, being alone isn't always a bad thing for me. Of course, everybody needs friends and luckily I have met some amazing people over the past few years who have shown me what true friendship feels like. But in them moments of darkness, when i'm by myself and close to letting peer pressure consume me, I think clearer than ever. I turn a negative into a positive by establishing what makes me happy, what my long term goals are and what actions to take to get there without any obstacles clouding my vision. Meditation is an amazing way to get into that frame of mind. It provides clarity and emotional guidance by tapping into a peaceful sub-conscious depth. By doing this we then start to discover our intuition.
Intuition is everything in life, it guides us when making decisions and warns us if a bad situation is around the corner. Meditation will not only clear your mind, but it will help you trust and develop your intuition.
'Intuition is similar to emotion in that it is something that guides us towards knowledge without conscious reasoning, but unlike emotion, it does not involve us entering another psychological state. It is, then, ‘purer’ than emotion, involving just an immediate awareness of something, often without realising why we have that awareness.' -http://www.theoryofknowledge.net/
There are tons and tons of guided meditations on Youtube, so if you fancy giving it a go, just search for a guided meditation. There are ones tailored to anxiety, depression or just simple relaxation!
So with a shift in season and mental attitudes, now is the time to discover your euphoria.
Problems need to be addressed and then shed, because ultimately you are in control of your own happiness. Just remember to remain kind and thoughtful throughout the process!
I know meditation and spiritual/psychological subjects are not to everyone's tastes but if you live your life with an open mind and empathy, you will find more satisfaction and happiness in the simplest of things.
- Robyn <3
