Photo: The snow-kissed landscape in the Lost Orchard ©Michelle Schoffro Cook. All rights reserved.
Did you set any resolutions for the year ahead? If you’re like most people, you set goals to lose weight, quit smoking, stop eating sweets, or some other similar goal. But, what if instead of cutting things out of your life or creating a restrictive regimen that only causes you to feel like a failure in a few weeks or months, you opted to find ways to bring more joy into your life?
After all, who couldn’t use more happiness in life? While I have been an observer of the human condition, it only takes a simple glance at passersby to realize that most people are working tirelessly to create an external façade that doesn’t match their inner world. Most people seem to be barely getting through life, moving from one task to another seemingly endless task or smiling while holding their true feelings inside. Others seem to be running from their feelings of sadness through excessive working or busy-ness, or by trying to numb their feelings through the usual suspects: drinking, drugs, or other efforts to escape their reality. Of course, I realize that working hard is a necessity for most people and that not all travel is an attempt at escapism.
The reality is that many people try to evade their feelings of grief, sadness, misery, trauma, or some other socially-perceived “undesirable” emotion. From the outside looking in, it seems that too many people lack any kind of “joie de vivre,” or “joy of life.”
Undoubtedly, there will be people who move into a comfortable state of victimhood by stating something like: “You don’t know how hard my life has been,” or “Easy for you to say. You haven’t been through the (insert your favorite expletive) I’ve been through.” Both are true. I have not experienced what you have, nor has anyone. We’ve all had our own unique life, filled with whatever hardships, traumas, or miseries that have befallen us.
Having worked with thousands of people in my natural healing practice over the years, many of whom shared their deepest fears, darkest experiences, and overwhelming traumas, I learned nearly everyone carries a surprising amount of heaviness through their life. But, that doesn’t mean we need to get comfortable with our collective state of victimhood, pointing the finger at others as the source of our problems, incessantly complaining about the hardships we’ve faced, or giving up any effort at happiness before we even get started. After all, "what if we fail when we pursue our dreams?" we may think.
Happiness is a choice. I’m not talking about fake positivity that involves bypassing your emotions by figuratively burying your head in the sand and pretending everything is fine. I’m talking about making a decision to become happier, whatever that looks like to you. Yes, it may be challenging at first to live with a connection to your heart, rather than just in your head as we are trained to do from birth in our society. But, checking in with your heart before you make decisions, whether simple or complex, can make the difference between happiness and misery.
Over time, it gets easier to follow your heart, listen to your intuition, and follow the path that leads to joy. Yes, there will be naysayers. No doubt there are naysayers reading this blog right now. But, by beginning to tune out the voices of others who say you can’t do this, have that, or be with someone you love, takes effort. The harsh truth is that sometimes those closest to us do not want what’s best for us, or that which will make us happy. They often want the comfort of the status quo, even if it is detrimental to you.
Getting in touch with your inner voice, your intuition, your desires and dreams, and then making conscious choices that move you toward them, ultimately leads to greater happiness. It might mean skipping the small daily purchases to save for something you’ve always wanted, mindfully enjoying a delicious meal undistracted by tasks, taking a class to learn a skill that calls to you, taking a walk in nature to help you reset, or moving out of the daily grind to a more natural setting and a more harmonious life.
It might take time, but it works. I know this from experience. I had every reason to sit in misery and forgo any effort to seek happiness, accepting the challenging hand I had been dealt. Instead, I chose happiness, regardless how elusive it seemed at the time.
When doubt creeps in or you have a bad day as we all undoubtedly do, rather than wave the white flag of surrender, renew your commitment to a happier life. You deserve it. We all do. Whatever you hold in your heart, whether it be a destination, a person, a cherished goal, or a whole new direction in life, it is my wish it for you in 2026 that your life moves toward these cherished goals.
Follow my blog, “The Art of Simply Living” as I share inspiring stories, helpful tips, motivation, beautiful photos, delicious recipes, and techniques to grow your own foods and natural medicines, all with the goal of helping you live a fulfilling and meaningful life close to nature.
