One of the exercises from week 5 of the artist’s way involves naming 10 material possessions that you wish that you had, but don’t. I thought to myself “This is going to be fun!” and got right to work. Immediately a few things came to mind:
a coffee maker, a juicer, a yoga mat (maybe from Lululemon) , some nice workout clothes…
And then I got stumped. I realized that there really isn’t all that much that I want. I am living a very comfortable life right now, and I don’t feel deprived. In fact, on my $1500 a month, I’m sort of feeling abundant. Of course I’m looking forward to that day in the near future (this is how I’m teaching myself to speak) when all of my debt will be gone, but for now I’m feeling very happy. What I crave isn’t things but experiences. The list of things I’d love to “do” and “learn” could go on for eternity. Dance lessons, guitar lessons, certification for becoming a personal trainer, voice training, singing lessons, kick-boxing, yoga, travel. I’m fine with the things that I have. I don’t want money so that I can have more stuff, I want money so that I can experience more and live a live of adventure and constant learning. I also hate that feeling of almost not having enough, but in the grand scheme of things (as my mother would say) I’m doing alright.
Based on the recommendation of one of my readers, I started reading the book “Wherever you go there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life” by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
The book talks about being happy in the present moment, and realizing that all you have is “this” moment. Our life is a series of moments, and it is up to you to choose what you’re going to do with them. This talk of things made me step back and examine my life. I have three real passions: acting, fitness, and writing. Right now I am partaking in each of these passions in some way. Fitness: I’m teaching a spin class and writing a health and wellness column. Acting: I’m in acting school. Writing: I write for a column and have my own blog. So when you think about it, my life is not so very far from where I want it to be. I’m already making some definite steps in the right direction. I am already evolving into the person that I want to be. In order to get to where I want to be I need to continue doing what I’m doing. Living each day to the fullest and keeping my eyes wide open for the opportunities that I am surely attracting into my life.
I guess the result of this little exercise, was to realize that I am actually really happy right now. I’M HAPPY! I don’t know why that is such a crazy statement to make, and I don’t know why I didn’t realize it before, but I am really happy!
I challenge you to try this exercise and examine your own life. What things are you doing now that are in alignment with where you want to be? If you can’t think of anything, then now is the time to incorporate at least one thing that makes you happy. Happiness doesn’t require money – it only requires passion and a love for how you spend every passing moment. Even if some moments are better than other, happiness comes with recognizing that every moment is important and special. It comes with realizing how amazing it is to be alive.