… one step at a time. That is all that is required of you.

As a baby or a young toddler, we naturally find sources of happiness –  a mother’s embrace, a climb on a jungle gym, a push on a swing, a cup of chocolate milk, etc… All these things so simple, yet have the capability of making a baby or a toddler very happy.

Life is simple yet our expectations as adults have become so complicated and demanding. Everyday we think we need more and more to be happy. We don’t need more and more to be happy. We need only to allow ourselves to be who we are. We need to slow down, recognize where we have gotten to, from where we came, take a breath and be grateful for where we are in life. We subscribe to the “click here” path to instant satisfaction. And when it is not there, or when we have to wait longer than we would like to, we become disillusioned and think that our lives are falling apart.

Everything does not happen all at once. Life is a process and so is your happiness. In order to appreciate happiness, I assure you, you will have to be dragged through the mud first. That mud bath is going to give you the most radiant skin and teach you well how to navigate across those mud holes the next time around.

Today’s world is filled with so much stimuli that it distracts from finding happiness. We are learning at younger and younger ages that we should have things faster – better – bigger – cheaper and delivered to our door. Our expectations for what it takes to make us contented and comfortable have been blown way out of proportion.

If you want to be truly happy, slow down and be in the moment. Take that cat nap. Sit on a park bench and enjoy the breeze on a warm day. Give gratitude for where you have gotten in life. This is the way to assure that more comes your way. But when you are running around trapped in your head day after day, you are only frenetically pushing the concept of happiness farther and farther away from you. Shift your energy towards gratitude and watch every step yield you more happiness. Babies know how to do this naturally. They never chastise themselves for not walking faster or farther, earlier in life. They are happy that they could take one step closer to that cookie. We have much to learn from them.

Remember, baby steps to happiness – slowing down is a process. Less is more. Less is always more.

Read more inspiration in Donnalynn’s new Book, “Life Lessons,” click here.

If you would like more information on Emotional Wellbeing and Life Coaching Sessions with Donnalynn, click here.

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