Our society is bombarded with messages about how important it is to be happy. However, this isn't really a bad thing. After all, it is only human nature to tell ourselves the reason we make decisions that harm our relationships is because we feel too sad or too angry or too lonely or too whatever. In fact, many of us go to the doctor's asking for anti-depressant medication even before s/he can prescribe anything! All this hype about 'feeling good' has got me wondering if we are going about it all wrong. Whenever we feel unusually sad for long periods of time, maybe it's not some repressed childhood trauma that can only be solved by quick fixes. Maybe we need to stop separating what we feel with what we do.

A wise teacher once told me 'If you always do what you've always done, you're gonna get what you always got.' Because our emotions are irrevocably related to our actions, perhaps if we tried to do something different, we'd change how we feel. In other words - 'If you always do what you've always done, you're gonna feel what you've always felt!' This new thing could be an activity you haven't done before, like something you've always wanted to try but were too apprehensive about it. Through experience, I've learned that trying something new is similar to a snake shedding its skin. The 'skin' being analogous to all the emotional baggage we carry everyday.

Don't get me wrong. This isn't about taking action to hide your feelings, it's about taking action to guide or direct your feelings. Above all else, our feelings are important because they are a source of power. They drive our creativity, our attitude and even whom we fall in love with. I believe it's important for all of us to remember this statement: We usually feel happy when we make good choices and we usually make good choices when we're happy! Therefore, the next time you want to make a good choice for yourself or you wish to feel content with who you are, I think you'll now know where you start is how it's gonna end!

© Sam Leonard
Life Channels Staff Writer
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