Give Yourself Permission to be Happy

About a year ago, I experienced my first “high on life” experience after having transitioned into a raw food diet for a couple of weeks. I had wanted to find a natural remedy to clear my skin and all of the wellness literature I found pointed me in the direction of raw foods.

A few days into my journey on raw, I found myself consistently feeling SO happy for no reason at all. You know that feeling you get when you’re in love? That’s how I felt after nourishing my body with raw foods. Sounds crazy, right?

I am by no means a 100% raw foodie, but having experienced the energy and happiness from eating 100% raw for a few weeks straight, I know the powerful effect it has on the body and I now make it a point to eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables every day.

Anyways, the reason I bring that up is because I discovered something else that makes me so incredible happy. Something else that gives me that same feeling of being on cloud nine.  Are you ready for this? For the last few months, I’ve been singing in the car every single day and I can’t even tell you what that has done to my mind and body and soul. It sounds silly, but let me tell you-- I get so filled with joy that by the time I arrive at my destination, I am in the best mood ever.

Before I used to do this myself, I’d drive past someone singing (and perhaps bopping around) in the drivers seat, and it made me smile and sometimes even laugh. When I first started doing it myself, I used to wonder how many people were looking at me when I rocked out or even what they might be thinking, but that doesn’t consume my thoughts anymore. If anything, maybe seeing me smiling and belting out tunes while tapping on the steering wheel brings a smile to other people and they’ll no longer want to shout obscenities to that person who just cut them off.

Find something that makes you happy and do it consistently. For me, it’s eating foods that make me feel awesome and singing along to my favorite country songs with a big smile on my face. For you, it might be something different.

Give yourself permission to be happy and don’t worry about what other people think. If they’re judging you, it’s only because they’re envious of the joy you’re experiencing that they're not. Negativity and judgment from others is not your problem so don't waste your energy dwelling on it.  If you don’t think you deserve happiness, think again. We all deserve to feel our best every single day. Embrace true happiness because you’re worth it.