If you own any sort of social media account; whether it be Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, you have probably seen the holiday overload of people posting their New Years resolutions. One that I have frequently come across is people wanting to obtain a “fuller life”. I was thinking, “How does one do this?” How does one live a seemingly full life? How do you know that you are at your maximum capacity of “living”?
I do not know all the answers, but a lesson that I have learned many times in the past few years is that sometimes to add to your life, or make it “fuller”, you must first subtract. Yes, thats right. Add to your life by subtracting. This seems counteractive to the point of making your personal life more full doesn't it? Yet, if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. To do this, all you need to do is follow this easy three-step-plan I have for you:
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- Take a step back and look at your life.
- Identify the baggage in your life. Recognize if it is positive or negative, and look for the ways it affects your life.
- Subtract the baggage that is not allowing you to move forward and be happy.
Go through a regular day in the life of you. Through all of your regular routines, all the way through to the end of the day; are you happy? Really think about it. If after analyzing your day you feel like you have the potential to being happier, take another step back and think, “What is keeping me from being fully and completely happy?” Maybe it is as small as the mess at your front entry way that has been bothering you the past week, or even as big as an addiction to drugs or pornography. However big or small this may be, it could possibly be the factor that is keeping you from your happily-ever-after at the end of the day.
Another thing to consider could be emotional or compulsive attachments to items, objects, thoughts, or even other people. You may find that you are attached to something that once brought you great happiness, and even though it doesn't do you good anymore, you still cannot seem to shake it. Being attached to something because it used to bring you happiness is not something you should be ashamed of. We have all been there once or twice (in my case probably 10 times), but we need to learn that it is not healthy because it is only bringing us temporary comfort. We need to realize that it is not benefiting us in the long run, and it will eventually become that damper that keeps us from ending our day on a truly happy note. These are the types of things in your life that you can potentially subtract.
Subtracting these things from your life is hard, and I feel you on that one. One thing that has helped me overcome my temporary attachments is to support my reasoning with fact. Every time I caught my mind wandering to that place of temporary comfort, I reminded myself why this is not healthy for me. I reminded myself why things are the way they are in the present, and that it is for the best. I had to consistently remind my mind that things are best the way they are now until I finally believed it.
If you find that it is hard to subtract this attachment, another route that you can go is trying to replace it with something that has more of a long term positive gain. Find something that you are passionate about, and use this new found passion to replace your temporary comfort. Through this, you are replacing temporary happiness with long term happiness. What could be better? Examples of these could be doing daily devotionals with God, playing sports, working out, hanging out with your friends, writing (this is my personal route), art (this is also my personal route), or even just quality time getting to know yourself on a deeper and more personal level. Replace the negative impacts on your life by laying down the positive in its old frequently traveled path. This allows the positive to direct your life rather than the previous negative baggage, leading you to a healthier and happier lifestyle.
All in all, I know that this is easier said than done. Once again, I have been in these shoes and let me tell you from experience, it is not fun. Yet, I got through it in one piece and gained some knowledge that I can hopefully pass on to others. Adding to your life through subtracting can be a real blessing and eye opener. If you ever find yourself in a rut and want to climb out, choosing this method wont steer you wrong because it hasn't failed me.
