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Creating a Happy Home
The home I grew up in was dysfunctional and chaotic. Now I’m creating a happy home for myself.
Since I’ve realized that I was raised in a very dysfunctional and negative home, I’ve made it a goal to create a happy home for myself. What does that look like? I didn’t have many examples from my childhood so I’ve had to look for clues in the homes of happy families and on TV shows. There are physical comforts that make a happy home such as plump pillows, handsome furniture, a fully stocked kitchen, and small pleasures such as candles, beautiful art and frames, an espresso machine, and a nice teapot. There are also the values of stability, safety, service, fun, and inner harmony. I’m still figuring out my idea of a happy home. In addition to building a happy home, I’m focused on developing the following ingredients and attitudes:
- Have fun, creating new positive memories with family
- Set fun traditions to do with family
- Have a secure base in my boyfriend and friends
One of the biggest things missing from my childhood is encouragement to have fun. I was never told to “have fun” whenever I went out with my friends. Instead, I always got a reminder to “Behave yourself! Don’t embarrass me!” as if every interaction with the outside world was a chance…
