One of my favorite quotes of all time is from the brilliant Albert Einstein. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” It’s one of my favorites for two reasons 1) Because it’s coming from the most respected theoretical physicist EVER and 2) Because it’s a compact little sentence with the essential secret to living a happy life. You can either choose to be in awe and wonder of this world or you can be a miserable bastard because your dog peed on your rug for the 5th time this week. Ladies and gents- happiness is not a result of circumstance. It’s a subjective decision.
Do you get where I’m going with this? Before you shout Polyanna, allow me to explain.
Consider Instagram. Last year, it’s creator, 28-year-old Kevin Systrom, won the programming jackpot when he sold his company to Facebook for a cool $400 mill. (Just 18 months after it’s launch, mind you) That’s insane! There are two things to be learned here. 1) You probably should have skipped out on that Business degree and taught yourself coding instead and 2) People love sharing pretty snapshots of their lives. Or more specifically, people love filters. And likes. And comparing themselves to others. And a platform for selfies. But- we’ll open that can of worms another day. Today, we’re talking filters, and how they apply to your life and your happiness.
The fact of the matter is, on your best day you can find something to complain about. On your worst day, you can find something to be happy about. It’s perspective. It’s the filter you pick. Hardcore complainers only deprive themselves of happiness. Reasons to be happy are everywhere. I mean, God, you can snap a shot of a bowl of mashed potatoes. Filter that baby with a little Lo-Fi, and it will look so delicious you will want to plant your face into it.
I’m laughing to myself as I write this. But it’s the truth. Some people might argue that that’s idealistic and not reality. Not so fast. Reality by definition is “the state of things as they actually exist.” And as I said before, what exists before you is subjective. It’s perspective. It’s your filter. It’s your life.
For those of you thinking “I’m just not a happy person. That’s the way my parents are. That’s the way I’ve always been. I can’t change.” Hold up. Science has now proven that we can change the way we instinctually think. What this means is that you can literally train your brain to think differently. The brain is so incredible that after 40 days of practicing a habit, it creates NEW neural pathways according to your new pattern of thought. Got that? It sounds like it’s out of a Sci-fi movie, but it’s not. That’s how complex and incredible the brain actually is. By the same token, that’s how powerful your thoughts are- so powerful they can change your biological makeup.
To be clear- of course¬ there are changes you can make in your life that make it way easier to see the goodness in everything. I’ll write more on that too. But- the core truth is that happiness starts within you. It’s not intangible crap. It’s scientifically proven. It’s just another lesson that comes down to a matter of choice. You can either choose to believe in the bad or choose to believe in the good. Your picture can be vibrant or dull. Gross or delicious. All you have to do is pick a filter.
Until next time, xo
Caroline
Lessons In Clarity 