Are you afraid to be happy? Many people are in touch with a fear of failure or fear of never finding happiness. But what I see far more frequently in people is a fear of their own personal power, success and happiness.
Your true nature is to be happy and at peace. There are things you can do to contribute to your own happiness and wellbeing. Mindfulness is at the foundation of taking responsibility for your wellbeing and the direction of your life.
Being afraid to be happy may play a part in keeping yourself stuck. People stay for years in jobs that they hate, relationships that feel unfulfilling at best or abusive at worst, geographies in which they feel disconnected or habits that keep them feeling unwell. In what ways are you holding yourself back, holding yourself down, settling for less than you deserve?
Mindfulness practice helps us to see ourselves and the world more clearly. It can help us to see the patterns that are keeping us stuck and develop new habits that support and encourage peace, happiness, wellbeing, and resilience.
If you truly owned how powerful you are to create change in your own life and in the world, how would your life be? What matters most to you in this one wild and precious life? Who do you want to be in the world, and what are you willing to do to become that? You might consider taking time for a mindful journaling practice and writing in your journal in response to the above questions as journaling prompts.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.” –Marianne Williamson
Warmly,
Jen
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This post was originally published on June 21, 2016 and has been revised and updated January 18, 2021.