When I write I am completely at ease, it's a source of happiness and calm. For their “Mind Yourself” campaign, Independent.ie have
asked me to discuss my happy place. (See the published article here : My Happy Place article for independent.ie)
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Oxford Dictionaries defines a happy place as a place which a
person associates with happiness, visualised as a means of reducing stress,
calming down etc. (hence) a happy state of mind. So by this definition, such a happy place would exist with
the formula:
Happiness + reduction in stress + calm state = your happy
place
My obstacle in the search for my happy place was always two
fold. One, I struggled in the attempt to have all elements of this formula in
place at a given time. I could be happy, but was probably stressed in
conjunction, or I could be calm but didn't feel happy. Two, I didn't know that
I hadn't a defined happy place. I was young and was always busy, I never let myself think that deeply.
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The day I began my blog was the day I found my happy place. I had something that I created, that I nurtured and I could watch grow. What started off just being a past time became something other people enjoyed, I couldn't believe it. In essence
my blog became my baby and when people gave me positive feedback I couldn't help
but beam with pride and feel driven to work even harder.
Image source : kadysmith0712.wordpress.com
My happy place is not a physical location, rather a place in my mind that I can drive, no one else. Sure
there are external factors but essentially I am responsible. I spent a lot of my life believing that other
people were responsible for that, now I know different. As well as this, I know
I can be transported to my happy place anywhere, anytime. All I need is my
notebook (or even just a scrap of paper) and a pen, a hazelnut Americano is an
optional extra and a Spotify playlist puts the icing on the cake for me.
My blog was born during a challenging time in my
life and despite how difficult it was at the time I can only be thankful for
it now. I learnt to take a rather adverse and gloomy energy and channel it into
something positive. I don’t doubt that as I age my interpretation of a happy
place will shift and alter and possibly be entirely different, but for now
blogging and writing is my ultimate happy place and I hope that others can
benefit too by enjoying my writing endeavours.
Thanks for reading, MOD :) x
