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A fulfilling career. Financial stability. A happy homelife. Great health. Strong bonds with family and friends. Time for hobbies. Personal growth. All these things and more are sure to find themselves on your personal wish list. However, finding the time to devote to all of these things can be excruciatingly overwhelming and prompt you to wonder whether or not “having it all” is even remotely possible.
In fact, that’s a question I have agonized over many times myself. Over the span of my adult life, I have read more books on the subject than I can count. Everyone is striving to achieve some sort of balance and most of us feel as though we are failing in one area or another.
Lately, things have been pretty wonderfully for me, and I attribute it to two things:
- Changing my outlook from a lens of lack to a lens of abundance and gratefulness, and
- Changing my idea of what “it all” really means.
I’m not going to say it has been a perfectly smooth ride and that I don’t find myself slipping back into old habits and ways of thinking. I am only human. However, I have found that the process has been amazing and that I am finding myself ever closer to the life I want.
It’s amazing how much we take for granted in our lives and how much energy we spend wishing we had this or that. We put an extraordinary value on things that we believe will bring us happiness, instead of finding reasons to be happy right now, and never really question why. It’s a hard habit to break.
The thing is, when we focus on what we don’t have and ignore the things we do, we’re inviting that situation to continue. We shut ourselves off from seeing new opportunities for happiness and growth that may be right in front of us. You get what you put out, if all you see is lack, lack is what you’ll get. Keep your thoughts on all the good things you do have, and you attract more good things.
The tricky part is knowing where to put your focus. You must do some serious soul-searching and figure out what it is that you really want. What is it that would truly make you happy? What kind of life do you want to live? A successful career doesn’t have to mean putting in 60 hours–although it may for some. A happy family life doesn’t have to mean sacrificing a career or hobbies. The key to finding balance is defining your parameters and trimming away anything that doesn’t serve you. Once you know what you want, you have to go after it with passion, an open mind, and an open heart. Do what you can do in the real world and believe that you can achieve that thing (whatever it may be). Look for new opportunities and creative solutions and then express gratitude when things fall in place.
Now, I’m far from a self-help guru, but these are the things that I have found to be true. I’m sure a lot of you have heard a similar message at some point in your life. Maybe you’ve even tried to apply these principles at one point or another, or maybe you’ve dismissed them as “new age nonsense”. However, in my experience, it works if you stay the course.
Back in August, I read a book called “Anything Can Be” by Jessica Dimas, which is all about applying the Law of Attraction (think “The Secret”). I love the way she approached this topic. I’ve read a lot of similar books, but she writes in easy to understand plain English and really breaks it down. I also love her personal accounts of how these principles have worked their magic in her life.
As far as how it has worked for me personally, I can only say that it has made a huge difference in my quality of life thus far. When I started putting it into action, I made a list of the things I wanted immediately that would change my life for the better. I wanted more money coming into our home, more time to spend with my family, the means to make our home more visually appealing, and to start making some sort of profit off of this blog.
Within weeks, things started changing. I got approached to do a review for Mighty Mug and received a free cup from them. I landed a job by chance, even though I hadn’t really been looking. The hours are perfect and allow me to still spend time on this blog. They changed Almost-Husband’s hours at work, moving him to days instead of nights, so we are now able to spend more time together. Our bills are paid up for once and we’ve been able to start working on some home-improvement projects. Things really started coming together, and I foresee many new positive changes in our future.
I could write so much more about how this has worked for me, but it could easily turn into a book all it’s own. Instead, I will continue to keep you updated on the amazing things happening here as they come and wish you all happiness and success as you continue your own journeys. Happiness is possible. But first we must look inside.