Are You Waiting to Get Happy?

By Amy Crawford

It took me many, many years to learn to find happiness within; to have no reliance on external sources to pick me up, pull me along, make me believe that I was enough. I now know that I AM enough, that I don't 'need' anything external to me to make me truly happy. To know that YOU are the power, that YOU are enough is a huge and incredibly empowering feeling.

Have you gone through life waiting, waiting for happiness to hit you in the face, to burst into your heart? Waiting for that gorgeous man (or woman) to come along (because then you'll be happy); waiting to lose 5 kilos (because then you'll be really happy); waiting to earn more money (because surely, when you are earning $10,000 more, you'll be happy).

You know what? Don't wait. Give up the wait and look within. Find happiness in your every day, show gratitude for what you have in your life right now, give to others, live consciously - raise your vibration and invite happiness in. There is absolutely no point in waiting because whatever it is you are yearning for may never come - and what a waste of time and energy that will have been.

I wanted to show you a place that I go to often, a place that I go to to rest, to allow my mind and body to find stillness. This is Freycinet Peninsula on the East Coast of Tasmania. For many years my family have had a holiday house here and it is without doubt my favourite place - it also played a huge part in my recovery from CFS. I grew up in Tasmania and moved away over 20 years ago. For many years since I have visited often, not only because I yearned to see my family but because I believed I needed a 'Tassie fix', a fix that would re-balance me, nourish me and bring me happiness again. When life hurled it's challenges, I'd book a flight and flee. Inevitably I would return home feeling better in many ways, that's true. Yet, should you need to book a flight and then wait to reach your favourite destination in order to find happiness?

My recent holiday in Freycinet Peninsula was just what I needed. I needed to stop for a while, immerse myself in big open spaces, take long walks, read books, remove myself from what has become an intensive working life. I work from home so there is little respite - it is only healthy that I remove myself from home once in a while. During this stay however, I was struck with the realisation that I didn't 'need' Tasmania anymore. I am certainly fortunate to have a reason to go there (because I love it dearly and I love my family), but my 'happy place' is in my heart, it's not waiting on the beach or on that mountain. It's within me right now and it's entirely up to me how I choose to feel, every single moment of my day.

Give up the wait, be happy now.