“We create our own world with the ingredients we put into it, so take care with your recipe.” – Greg Phillips

When I first read this quote by Greg Phillips, it made me think: what ingredients had I used to form my own world? A bit of laughter and friendships, lots of great meals, and some art on a daily basis. Yeah, you bet! That would have been the perfect recipe, but I had to spice it up with some stress, misery, jealousy, and regret. Can you recognize the ingredients that spoiled my perfect life?

During an inevitable period of identity crisis, I came down to the only logical conclusion:

Life makes sense only when you do the things you love. @rachel5bartee (Click to Tweet!)

When you feel that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be in a precise moment of time, and all your decisions and actions took you where you wanted to be, you can say you’ve been living successfully.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t say that for myself. The good thing, though, was that I got out of the initial despair. I realized: I only needed to start doing the things I loved to bring more pleasure into my life. Have you heard of a simple recipe for happiness?

The bitter ingredients are still there. Stress is a constant part of living and we cannot get rid of it no matter how hard we try. However, when we add more of the good ingredients, we get a well-balanced recipe that’s pure joy for all senses.

Let me share my journey. I was already aware of the things I loved. However, I needed to find motivation to do them more. It really didn’t matter how much work I had to do in a day. I realized I could always devote at least half an hour to the things I loved. I committed to regular yoga sessions, and I started reading at least ten pages of classical novels per day. I started calling my friends on a daily basis, and taking long walks with my partner… the number of good ingredients is endless.

It would be a pure shame to waste my life on work and obligations that don’t make me happy. That’s why I started creating weekly and monthly plans that included mood-boosting activities. Everything started with a list of thirty great things I loved. Then, I encountered a problem: I started well, but I wasn’t motivated enough to stay true to the practice.

The first motivator was obvious enough: doing the things I loved kept me motivated and productive to do my job, too. We are usually not aware of the volumes of energy we spend on work, house maintenance, and taking care of our families. Of course, those things are important. I love my family and I want to provide for a nice home. That’s why I need to work, and I need to keep the place clean and comfortable for us.

However, those responsibilities are energy outlets. When I realized I had practically committed my entire life to them, I understood why my motivation was lost. As a result, my productivity levels went down and I got depressed.

Here’s the lesson I learned: if we want to have productive lives, we have to charge our energy from activities we love. That’s one of the main reasons that keep me doing the things on my list.

The second motivation boost was also obvious: when I’m doing what I love, I feel complete. All people gain fulfillment when they are successful in their studies or jobs, or they are taking care of their families the best way they can. I was not special for doing those things, and I couldn’t use them as an excuse for not doing what I really loved.

The issue of personal fulfillment expands beyond work and family. It was time to focus on me. What did I want to do? I wanted a clean house and a prospective career. That was okay. I also wanted to take long walks and go to the spa once a month. I wanted to have at least one hour of the day for myself, and that was also okay.

Another reason for this personal transformation was the need to become calmer and healthier. It’s my mental health I’m talking about. Do you know that those people who are extremely committed to their work are exposed to extreme levels of stress in their lives? I was so consumed by work that I perceived every minor problem as a disaster. That was happening because I didn’t have an energy charge.

When I started doing the things I loved, my nerves became calmer and my mental health experienced great benefits. I realized that no matter what problems I faced in my life, I could always find a moment of happiness. That realization keeps me going strong.

The commitment to happiness had another motif: constant learning and personal improvement. When I’m focused on expanding my areas of interest, I am learning new things every single day. One of my main interests is history, so my list included a simple task: watch History Channel in the evenings. Do you know how many things I’ve learned when I gave myself that luxury?

The things I love don’t burden me. They push me to explore and become better at what I do and who I am. It doesn’t matter whether I’m reading, exercising, or writing – all these things help me dive deeper into my own personality, and they eventually make me a better person.

Finally, here’s the most important motivator that keeps me committed to my list: when I’m doing something I love every single day, I become more creative.

I am revealing new layers of my personality and I’m slowly becoming who I really am. I’ve learned how to listen to my instincts and I’m finally doing something different from everybody else. I individualize.

I was surprised how simple activities like going to the spa and watching History Channel made me a more authentic and creative person. I always have something to talk about, and it’s easier for me to form opinions about important things because now, I’m thinking with my own head. I’m no longer a conformist.

I’ll wrap things up with another quote: “The things that you do should be the things you love, and things that you love should be things that you do.” – Ray Bradbury

That’s pretty much the recipe for the perfect life I always wanted to have. It doesn’t matter whether I ended up being what I always wanted to be or I got stuck with a job I didn’t even like. I realized there was always space for improvement if I could simply force myself to do more of the things I loved.

Every day is the perfect day for a fresh start!

Rachel Bartee is a life enthusiast and a writer at EduGeeksClub professional writing services. She loves blogging about things which are on her mind and can be of use to others. She feels inspired by her morning yoga and personal development classes she is attending at the moment. Get in touch with her on Twitter.

Image courtesy of Alexas_Fotos.