It's moments like these

After struggling with anxiety for the past few years, finding peace and comfort in my everyday life has sometimes been a challenge.  I've often felt like I'm on a search for that one thing that will make each day a little more joyful.  It seems silly, maybe, that someone like me would struggle with being happy.  I live in an amazing city. I have a loving and supportive family.  I have a husband who is my best friend and biggest cheerleader.  I have great friends.  I have the career I've always wanted.  With all of these blessings in my life, it even amazes me that I feel down more often than I'd like to admit.


After setting my goal for 2012, though, I felt energized and optimistic for the new year - and for good reason!  With everything listed above and more, I knew that it was simply up to me to make things happen.  Luckily, I saw how easy it could be earlier this week.


After dreading the Monday, back-to-school wake-up call (I had a looooong 2 1/2 week break, including a fabulous trip to Hawaii!) and surviving that first day back without any real hiccups, I woke up feeling ready to turn my goal into reality on Tuesday morning.  I had a plan for the day and was excited!  I had a great day with the kids, went to the gym with my amazing sis-in-law, and came home to get dinner going.  While this sounds like a typical day for many people, my attitude is what made all the difference.  Rather than hoping to "get through" the day, I decided I was going to make the most of it.  What a simple concept :) and IT WORKED!


While my day was awesome and I had definitely started to see the value in having a positive attitude, this was not the big revelation for me.  My "aha" moment came later that night when the hus and I had a full on, uncontrollable, belly laugh session, complete with sore abs the next day!  We seriously laughed for a solid 10 minutes with no chance of getting a complete sentence out!  It was    so.     much.     fun.    and I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed that hard.  Just as we were finally catching our breath and able to get a few words out, the hus said to me, I don't think I've seen you laugh like that in....I don't know....2 years?!


TWO.  YEARS.


What??! you're thinking.  You haven't had a good belly laugh in TWO YEARS?!  That can't be true.


Sadly, it is.  And the funny thing is - I was thinking the exact same thing right before he said it, and I couldn't believe it myself.  It's NO WONDER I've been struggling with anxiety and overall happiness for quite awhile.  How can anyone possibly be happy if they haven't really laughed in two whole years??


In that moment, I knew that I needed to find a way to laugh more and have fun.  Why was I taking my life so seriously?  With all of the blessings I have, there is simply nothing to be too serious about!  In order to achieve my goal of doing what makes me happy and being the best I can be, I definitely need to find the things that make me laugh and make sure they are a part of my life as much as possible.  


Anyone out there have any good jokes??? 


Seriously, though, it was SO EASY to get there with the right mindset.  It's NOT a matter of finding "that one thing that will make each day a little more joyful" but rather finding the joy in the things I already have.


Laughter really is the best medicine, and it's moments like these that prove it.