Have you ever felt like you were stuck in your own personal Groundhog Day? Like each day was more of the same, and felt miserable in the monotony?

You wake up each morning at the same time, and force yourself through the same morning routine. Brush teeth, take your pet for a walk, fix breakfast, skip exercise because your back hurts again, attempt to meditate. Procrastinate from starting work by complaining to friends to co-workers.

The rest of your day might go something along the lines of sitting at the computer, answering emails, listening in on another Zoom meeting, then trying to power through your to-do list before collapsing on the couch and numbing out to a mindless television show. You’re stuck eating leftovers for dinner, again.

You stay up later than you intended, then go to bed and try to gear yourself up to do it all again the next day.

This may or may not look like your typical day. If not, insert your routine and visualize how it makes you feel.

If your day feels heavy, or like a drag, you are probably operating from a place of “should” or “have to” rather than a place of “I choose to”. This happens when we allow external expectations or standards to influence our happiness. We buy into the story that we should live our lives a certain way, which causes friction and stress.

But, by making one simple shift in perspective, we can turn that story around. We can choose to believe that we “get to” rather than “have to”, and can take ownership of our own experience and joy.

This one simple step can transform everything, but that does not mean it’s easy to do. Too many of us feel at the effect of, rather than affecting, our own lives. This leaves us feeling powerless to achieve greater happiness.

How You Could View Your Daily Routine

You get to wake up whenever you choose, because you have plenty of time. You get to play with the pets you chose to have, because they give you so much joy. You celebrate your body with gentle movements to ease your back pain, and show your mind love through meditation. You feel fortunate to have so many friends you can connect with, and who you enjoy chatting with before you start the work day.

At work, you get to work from home and be as comfortable as you like. You choose to stay with this job because you enjoy your co-workers, and it gives you ability to pay your bills and afford your lifestyle comfortably. You are grateful for the opportunities you have throughout the day to exercise your creative thinking skills.

In the evening, you have countless options for entertainment, and you choose a show that makes you laugh. You get to cook yourself a healthy meal, and enjoy it while watching other people’s creativity at play. You choose to turn the tv off at a time you know will set you up for a good night’s sleep, and get to go to bed proud that you took care of yourself so well.

Do you see the shift in perspective? In the first scenario, the routine is being viewed through a victim mentality. Everything is wrong, or annoying, or causing you to be miserable. In the second, everything is a choice, and a gift that you are granted by being alive.

When we appreciate and celebrate our lives, then we create the energies of happiness and fulfillment. The truth is that nothing ever happens in just the mind – the brain – because our mental function directly affects our physical body. They are intricately intertwined.

Appreciate And Celebrate Your Life

At Pathwaves, we like to say that we are both mind and body. And our “minds” are actually housed within our bodies. Therefore, the path to a happier and healthier life lies on the yellow-brick road of how we think and choose to behave.

In spite of how much “good” we have in our lives, our brains are wired to seek out the negative. This natural tendency to look for what’s wrong can often impede us in finding any of the positives.

This becomes the first task: to identify the good.

Once you develop that mental pattern, it then directly affects how the body functions. In order to improve how you feel and function, start celebrating any and all good you find. Really emphasize your enthusiasm, and strengthen that dopamine response.

Try celebrating the good you find a dozen times a day, and watch how your life transforms. You’ll be amazed at how much your perception impacts your overall outlook.

If you’d like to learn how you can support your personal growth through our methodology, we are here to help. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation today.

To help those who cannot afford the services of Pathwaves, consider donating to the Pathwaves Foundation. Please call (305) 858-6616 for more information.