At Home

By Author: Joan Marques
Total Articles: 4
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What is more important for the human spirit - for any spirit - than to feel at home? Who cannot identify with that toe-curling, breath-accelerating, smile-triggering, elated sensation of ultimate contentment when being at home? Those who are unfamiliar with this awareness, even occasionally, are the ones to be truly bemoaned among us. And if this instantly leads your thoughts to the homeless, you are only partially right, for there are many people who live in beautiful houses - mansions even - where they just don't feel happy. Consider the man who feels obligated to stay in a relationship where his heart cannot find peace, or the woman who struggles with the choice between abandoning an emotionally troublesome, but financially secure residence, and one that is happy, yet economically unstable. It is only after you have made the choice for yourself to go for the toe-curling sensation of being at home; that you know how futile financial solidity is, compared to peace of mind. However, it takes a lot of backbone to get there! Backbone that many people cannot - or just don't want to - work up, no matter how uncomfortable their ...
... souls are in the current environment, and no matter how green the grass looks on the other side of the hills. For fear is like an asphyxiation that does not only squeeze the air from the lungs, but paralyzes its victim at the same time. And yet, there is not THAT much needed to be happy. The Eagles advise us to take it easy and not to let the sound of our own wheels drive us crazy... and that could very well be interpreted as not stumbling over our own feet, but just take a comfortable stroll through life. A wise advice that was given to me a couple of years ago, I would like to pass on to you today: "Anything, any relationship, any job that you allow into your life, should add value to the quality of it. If not, discard it!" And please, don't confuse quality with quantity, neither in the just mentioned advice, nor in any other moment during the rest of your life. Too many people are living proof of the fact that happiness is not for sale: they live in uncomfortable abundance, while they suffer from severe psychosomatic disorders, due to the ultimate discontent they experience inside. Oh yes, it is easier to talk the talk than to walk the walk. But we should still attempt to exchange stressful circumstances - whether at work or at home - for peaceful ones. And there is really no expensive, time-consuming research necessary to conclude that people just perform better when they feel content. Stress undoubtedly has its advantages at times. There are many people who perform brilliantly under stress. But no one should be pressured by stress constantly. On balance, the increasing call from the global workforce in the past years has been for meaning at work, security, and peace of mind. Therefore, start creating that "at home" sensation for yourself, everywhere you have to be longer than 3 hours a day. This does not only have to be limited to our house or apartment, but should definitely be extended to our workplace. Nothing wrong with having a toe-curling sensation at work as well! It is the guarantee that you will reach the stars with your performance. So, how do you know whether you're well on your way with happiness or not? First of all, by listening to yourself, of course. No one knows better how you feel than you! Yet, you can also measure your position by analyzing your behavior. Here are some signs that can indicate whether you have landed in a situation that needs to be changed:
* You catch yourself frowning fairly often for no obvious reason
* You are always looking for something to distract you from the here and now, while you've exceeded the age of 18 long ago?
* You dread every moment of silence, because silence is uncomfortable.
* You can't even feel delighted anymore about things that used to bring you in a state of ecstasy before.
* You have more days that you prefer to sleep than to be awake. This list could be infinitely longer. I bet you can come up with a number of suggestions too. And if you do, you've got the point: a general feeling of dread is a major indicator that a situation has to be changed. And it may not be able to execute that change overnight. But work on it. For life should be taken easy. It's difficult enough for us to reach the mature stage where we can see that! So, once you have it, work toward it. Detach yourself from dreadful situations. Jump into a world of possibly increased insecurity, yet infinitely decreased discontent. It will be worth your while!