The Story Of “ It Is Not Going to Last”

Lydia woke up feeling fantastic. It was Saturday morning, the sunlight was streaming through the window, and today she was meeting her mum for brunch.

Lydia knew the questions that her mum would ask.  How was her job going? How Josh her boyfriend was and if she was happy.   

As Lydia pondered these questions and the answers; she realised that she was quite blessed. She had a great job which she loved and allowed her to travel, she had a fantastic boyfriend who loved her, and she was feeling good.

However, she also noticed that something did not feel right.  Something inside of her, a sort of guilt kept popping up each time Lydia thought about the good things in her life.

In fact, this guilty feeling inside of her had a voice, hardly audible but there every time she felt good, and thought about the good things in her life.

This voice would whisper to her, “You don’t deserve this”,  “Enjoy this while you can”, and “This is not going to last”. 

Many people suffer from what is known as happiness guilt.  They feel guilty about being happy, when others may be suffering or not in the same position of happiness. 

For them, it doesn’t matter what the source of happiness is.  They feel they cannot enjoy the success, leaving them feeling guilty or having feelings that they don’t deserve this happiness. 

However, trying to ignore your happiness or the good things in your life is not going to benefit you or another person who is not experiencing it.

The belief that your happiness takes from another person is false. It is self-defeating thinking that can sabotage your happiness.

For you were not put here to have a life of struggle and misery.  You are meant to follow your passion, to find your purpose and to live your best life being happy.

So, this week’s challenge is to find the root of your guilt.  As guilt comes from somewhere in the past, it could be from a childhood experience or your circle of friends.  You need to get up close and personal with your guilt and find time to be alone and understand it.  To ask yourself the questions “Why do I think like this?”  and  ‘What past situation or

experience taught me that it is not okay to feel happy?”

Once you know the answer, you will then be able to challenge your beliefs and change your perspective.  To view it differently and get a better understanding of who you are and what you want.  For you alone are responsible for the good things that happen in your life.

In most instances, when you are feeling guilty about being happy, it’s because you have forgotten that you are allowed to feel happy. 

It is now time to get out of your own way of your joy and happiness. To give yourself

permission to be happy and to enjoy life.

Forever creating,

Deborah Ruth