Take Responsibility, Take Control (Step 2: resolution revolution)

"The moment you take responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you can change anything in your life." -Hal Elrod

I read so many posts about what a horrible year 2016 was. People say "I tried to make the best of it but something always came up to make me miserable.", or "This year treated me so badly, I didn't deserve this.", or "I wanted 2016 to be a great year but too many bad things happened."

I get it, there are so many things going on in this world that can pull you out of balance and mess with your happiness. The world is a crazy place, but listen, here's the truth, You have the power to be happy right in your hands. It's such a cop-out to blame your unhappiness on politics, or something that happened hundreds of miles from where you are. We don't give ourselves enough credit for the power we have to be happy. We blame others; other people, other things, other events...everything and everyone else, but ourselves. People today are not likely to take responsibility for their lives and that sets us up for failure.

The cause of unhappiness is that we surrender control to other people or things. The reason we feel bad is because ww have given up the power to be happy, on our own. We don't feel good, so we blame someone else. We don't feel safe, so we blame something else. We don't feel healthy so we blame the world. It's the blame game and it can be very satisfying not to take be responsible. It's easier to point fingers and take satisfaction in thinking "it's not my fault."

You want a clue on how to be happy?
JUST BE HAPPY!!!

If you really want to be happy, you can be happy. That long list of things that have made you unhappy, get rid of them, stop with the long list of blame. For real change and happiness to take place, you have to stop making excuses. I guarantee you, there are people who have less money, smaller houses, no car, and have so much less than you have who are happy. It's time to stop making excuses for our misery and start taking responsibility.

I've spent the better part of this past month feeling unhappy about the direction we may be heading in, blaming everyone for their political views, their naivete, their disregard for people's rights, etc. Blaming everyone and everything for a future which may or may not come to pass. I've been focused on fear and worry. That's not living in reality. That's definitely not being mindful.

Ready for another clue? That worry and fear will get you NOWHERE!!!

Whether or not we have a good life, a mediocre life, or a terrible life is not so much contingent on the actual circumstances of our lives, but in our thoughts pertaining to the circumstances.

We can waste all of our time and energy complaining and focusing on finding something or someone to blame, but we are just wasting time and surrendering our control. Using precious energy that should be better spent in living in the moment, living the life that is really happening, and taking control of our world. We have to let go of the what ifs and the what might happens, and focus on what is happening in our lifestyle this moment.

No one else is responsible for your happiness. Whatever happens in our world, we choose how to react. We choose how it is going to affect our life. We choose our level of fear and misery. We can choose to be happy.

The next HUGE step in moving forward in the New Year and being happier is to stop being the victim. No one can make you feel unhappy, it is your choice. Bad things happen but you have to take responsibility for what you do with those bad things.

It's time to take responsibility and take your power back. The world around us keeps trying to convince us we are not in control. We are bombarded with messages that we need this thing, or that thing, to make us happy...we don't! Happiness can only come from inside. There is nothing you can buy or be given that can give you lifelong happiness, unless you decide to be happy.

To make true change and move forward with resolve, we need to take responsibility for change and for our happiness. Spend some time reflecting on your attitude towards happiness and let go of the feeling that we must depend on someone or something else to be happy.

Always remember, hostile people see a hostile world, while loving people see a loving one. The more often we choose to focus on loving thoughts we will notice our outer reality begins to shift in order to reflect our happiness.

Take control, use your power, and be happy!

​Coach Bill