How to Allow Yourself To Be Happy

I’ve talked about doing more things that make you happy, but what about allowing yourself to be happy?

It seems bizarre, but many of us create barriers to happiness.

Whether we think we don’t deserve true happiness or are constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop when things are going well, it’s harder than you think to revel in true happiness.

Let go of the barriers to your happiness

Are we waiting for something terrible to happen? Are we just afraid of happiness? Or, as this article speaks to, do we just find that because happiness isn’t something we can always control, and that is absolutely terrifying?

I think what really gets to most of us is a combination of factors: we can’t always control the reasons for our happiness; and sometimes it may seem that when you truly allow yourself to feel happiness that that is the moment when something negative happens and causes other emotions. Sadness. Anger. Whatever it may be.

I found this great post on The 20 Things You Need to Let Go of To Be Happy. In it, they go through these 20 things that are important to let go of in order to find true happiness:

1. The approval of others
2. Anger/resentment
3. Negative body image
4. Idea of a perfect partner
5. Perfect life
6. You’re going to be rich
7. Idea that good fortune will land on your doorstep
8. Excuses
9. Thoughts of your ex
10. Stubborness
11. Procrastination
12. Your baggage
13. Negativity
14. Judgmental thoughts
15. Jealousy
16. Insecurity
17. Depending on others for happiness
18. The past
19. The need for control
20. Expectations

Feel it all

Life is a series of highs and lows; truly feeling both sides makes for a full and true emotional experience. A full and true life experience. Feeling the full highs and lows in life is hard; so many of us take the easier route, by only half-feeling negative emotions. The bad news? That means that you’re only half-feeling the positive emotions as well.

The fix? Allow yourself to feel it all. The highs and the lows.

You deserve it

Once you let go of the barriers to your happiness and allow yourself to feel the highest highs of happiness and lowest lows of sadness, know that you do deserve to be happy. We all do.

Once you realize that you do, indeed, deserve the happiness you want, you’ll be one step closer to it.