Find Happiness Through Positive Emotions
If you are one of those people who feels like you can’t find happiness, let me tell you that being happy is a daily decision . Happiness is not found, it is built on the basis of decisions and modifications in our habits. Regardless of external circumstances, maintaining a positive frame of mind is up to us.
When we feel that harmony, peace and joy elude us, the problem often lies in thought patterns ingrained since childhood. They work in the shadows, boycotting, without our barely perceiving it, our attempts to feel good. The good news is that these cognitive schemes can be unlearned and replaced by more functional ones.
Every emotion has a thought behind
Despite the fact that our objective is to achieve a certain emotion (happiness), the process inevitably passes by attending to thoughts. These are the main mediators between what happens in reality and what we feel. Depending on your thoughts you will experience one or the other emotions, therefore in them is the key.
If you generally find yourself invaded by negative emotions such as fear, sadness, anger, or frustration, pay attention to what you think. Our internal dialogue, what we repeatedly tell ourselves, is made up of thoughts. These thoughts are very often automatic and are triggered without our being fully aware.
Despite this, its constant presence in our mind shapes our emotions. Therefore, if we want to experience happiness, we have to modify our thought patterns. This is not an easy task since our way of thinking has accompanied us throughout our lives. However, with perseverance and determination we can achieve the change that brings us closer to more positive emotions.
How to experience positive emotions?
Happiness could be defined as a state in which positive emotions predominate. To be happy you do not need great peaks of ecstasy but rather a constant of inner peace and harmony. Some of the positive emotions that can bring us closer to happiness are the following:
- Gratitude – This is a powerful emotion. Adopting the habit of being thankful makes us more aware of all that we have and that we all too often overlook. It also puts us in the position of being open to receiving more good things.
- Compassion: We often take the actions of others personally and this can lead to anger, frustration, or sadness. If we can understand that what a person says and does speaks more about himself than about us, we can dissociate ourselves from his behavior and release those negative emotions.
- Sorry: it is said that holding a grudge is like holding hot coals to throw at another. The first and greatest victim is yourself. Forgiveness does not mean excusing someone’s behavior or accepting it again in our lives. It means deciding that their actions will no longer dominate our mood. Forgive for yourself.
- Love : love is the main element of happiness. It is a very broad concept that should always start with loving yourself. Feeling at peace with who we are and putting ourselves first is essential. After that, experiencing love for the significant others in our lives and enjoying their company and presence will become second nature.
Find happiness
As we have explained, behind each emotion there is a thought. Therefore, if we want to incorporate these positive emotions into our lives, we have to modify our cognitions. To do this, the first step is to detect them, identify in which situations they jump automatically and become aware of them.
From there we can replace them with other more benevolent, calm and beneficial thoughts. It is a job that requires perseverance, as the unconscious will try to lead us to repeat the same thoughts and emotions to which we are accustomed. Therefore, it is essential to be persistent in modifying any negative thought as soon as we detect it.
Although at first it may be forced and unnatural, with practice you will see how your emotions change and you gain greater control over your own internal state. Once you know the origin of your emotions, you have half a way to achieve happiness.
