My Happiness in Midlife Is No Accident

Create Your Roadmap to Joy

Did you know 8,091 people die in America every day? Since I am awake; I am determined to have a happy day. Here is my 3-step roadmap.

1.     Start the day with gratitude. Whether thanks is an affirmation, prayer, meditation, or a silent practice; I acknowledge being awake to face the day. Today I am also feeling good. That’s a bonus. On days when my body is not fully cooperative, I am patient and gentle. My body and I have been through a lot together. Does it need more sleep? Would a stretch help? Is it feeling dehydrated? On my body’s cranky days, I try to tune into what would make it feel better.

2.     Before dealing with the general public, virtually or “live.” I remind myself of my two essentials of interacting with others.

Essential A: “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” (Epictetus, died 135 AD)

Essential B:  I cannot completely control the people crossing my path on any given day. My default approach is like the bumper sticker, ‘Be kind, we never know what someone is going through,” (readers: on the rarest occasion when encountering a total jerk, I stand up for myself. My kindness is not subservience.)

3.     Every day, I find reasons to smile. Tomorrow I could be one of the 8,091 people joining the ancestors. Today is a good day to tell friends and family how much they mean to me. Today is a good day to do a good deed. Today is a good day to text, call, or send a card to the friend or relative I haven’t heard from. Today is a good day to compliment or encourage someone.

In my fifties (2007+) I began taking a calmer more peaceful approach to life. Earlier my life was more hectic as a single parent with a career involving travel. There was more striving and competing at work and more drama in personal relationships that dissolved over the years.

Not every senior is going to share my experience. Everyone’s life journey is different. Yes, I am fortunate to live in my world of words as a writer, writing group facilitator, and storyteller (a newly discovered fascination). Having good health, being surrounded by love, a ‘glass half-full’ outlook on life, and social connections are situations I’ve worked hard to develop over the decades. I always just wanted to be happy and I am.

“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.”

― Marilyn Monroe (also attributed to Kurt Cobain)