Find Your Happiness, but Do it Respectfully

Have you ever found yourself in a continuous cycle of surviving one day and dreading the next? If you have, that’s a pretty good sign that you’re no longer in the place you need to be, and the only way to break that cycle is to make a change. Whether you change jobs, adjust your routine, move to a new location, or even pick up a new hobby, you can gradually regain your happiness. 

It’s important to recognize that when you are miserable in your situation, that does not give you permission to make the people around you miserable or to be disrespectful to others as you make a change in your own life. You can find your happiness while being respectful about it. I’ve heard the phrase, “Protect your peace,” thrown around a lot in recent times, and while that does seem like a reasonable thing to strive for, I think some people abuse the phrase. Protecting your peace does not mean at the expense of others. You can still set boundaries with people or even remove yourself from the situation, but protecting your peace means that you find a balance in your life and take accountability for yourself.

We cannot control what anyone else does, but we can control our own thoughts and actions. If you choose to remove yourself from a situation, I recommend that you try to do so without burning any bridges along the way. You never know when you might come across that person again and what influence they might have. I understand how frustrating it can be to have to make a change in your own life as a result of someone else’s actions, but it does you no good to publicly diss them. If anything, that will cause you more distress than forgiving them and moving on. Most people are not out to get us; they are out to help themselves.

Although it can be hard, taking the high road is one of the best ways to protect your inner peace. You can find your happiness while being respectful. Small adjustments can make a big difference, so make the necessary changes that will lead to your increased happiness. And remember, you control you and no one else.

-Meghan Slaughter