Labels for Happiness

Are you enough to make yourself feel good? Are you relying on outside sources for your happiness? These outside sources could be the labels and roles you’ve created for yourself as your identity. It could be accomplishing a task. It could be relying on food, exercise, alcohol, drugs, maybe even the things you buy that serve as a means for you to be happy.

I realized in college that I was relying on alcohol to make a place fun. It was an awesome awareness when I realized that if a place wasn’t fun without a drink then it wasn’t fun at all. I didn’t need to be there. I let go of relying on that outside source in order to make me happy and just found the place to be where I was happy.

Before I had children, my license plate said OTSING2 because I identified myself as an occupational therapist and I loved to sing as well. Well, once the kids came along, I became mommy and work and singing took a back seat. I was no longer who I was. I lost my identity, but not really.

I was still the same person as I always have and always will be. I was just in a soul transitional phase of evolving to my higher self. Though the roles/labels I have given myself will always be a part of me, they will not define me. When those roles shift and my kids no longer need cuddles at night, clothes washed, and food in their belly, I will still be there mom, but I’ll become more. Hopefully, as they become adults, we’ll evolve into friends. This is the same for my role as an occupational therapist. I am still an OT, but now I divide my time. Just the same with singing, though I am not doing shows and singing in choirs, now I know all the words to the Disney princess movies, especially Frozen.

I am evolving into my true self with a deeper understanding of my soul’s purpose in this human body. Last week we focused on re-writing our dreams. This week, we let go of our labels/roles and become aware of what we are relying on for our happiness. Then, we let go.

My insightful daughter has her first wiggly tooth. I said you will look so different without that tooth. She replied, “I will still be the same person, mommy. I will just look different.” How brilliant she is! So are you!

*This is a powerful tool to give up sweet treats, overeating, alcohol, smoking, any addiction because it brings into perspective why you are doing what you are doing. When you love yourself enough to only want to do what makes you feel good, the intensity of addictions drastically decreases.

Task #1: Write out your roles/labels

Task #2: Write out what you rely on for your happiness that may not be for your overall benefit

Task #3: I let go and envision myself as the light I truly am.

Voyage to HEAL Weekly Tasks

Stretch: Piriformis release over the edge of the bed. Stand at the edge of your bed, flex your knee and turn your hip out to sit at the edge of the bed as if putting on a sock. Stay here and gently lean forward. Place a pillow under your knee if you need to for comfort. You may also use the releaser ball on your glutes sitting or against the wall to release the piriformis.

Exercise: Let’s do bridges so that the piriformis learns how to turn on and off. Place a strap around your ankles to decrease the work of the hamstrings if they tend to over fire.

Habitual Change: I find that I stand with my left toe pointed and I lean over to the right. Check yourself to see if you tend to stand more on 1 foot than the other. Try to be neutral.

Perspective Enlightenment: Labels are judgments that may not always be true and what once was may not be anymore. Keep your mind open and go with the flow of positive thinking. Make no judgments. 

This week’s post coincides with the theme of week 8: I am enough. I’m learning that life is a series of letting go and accepting God’s plan and trusting that what is happening right now that isn’t bringing me happiness may not be happening tomorrow. There is a flow and there is a purpose for everything. There is a reason we are young and stupid and old and cranky at times. We learn. We evolve. We become the light we once were before taking on this human form. You are the light in this world no matter what role you take on or label you give yourself.

Godspeed on your Voyage to HEAL.

Love,

Jocelyn