Issue 104: Creating Happiness
THE LEAP
BY QUANTUM ORANGE
GROW, EXPAND & EVOLVE
ISSUE 104 | CREATING HAPPINESS
Each week The (Quantum) Leap summarises a key aspect of success into what you need to Think, Feel and Do to create a personal shift.
Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.
~ Groucho Marx
THINK
Often, in our rush to make a living and become successful, we forget to actually live. Life is not just an obligation, it’s an adventure!
Our clients tell us they’re busier than ever and often think they have to sacrifice friends, family and sleep to be more successful. Many of them have stopped living - they may not be voicing their frustrations, but they’re ever-present and they prevent fun and adventure taking place.
One of the most common false beliefs we see in our work is the illusion we will someday have more time. Time to take action on our dreams, to make our aspirations our experience, to create real happiness. One thing leads to another, we get busy, and someday never comes.
Spend time this week reflecting on your thinking and its effects on creating happiness in your life. Ask yourself:
- What occupies the most space in my life?
- Do these things create happiness?
- What was I taught about happiness?
- Do I think I need the approval of others to be happy?
- Do I need everything to go right for me to be happy?
- Do I know what creates happiness for me?
- Do I make time for the things that bring me joy?
We all have old beliefs and ideas we carry around with us. They are rarely rooted in reality, but we carry them anyway, even though they negatively impact on our lives. Identifying and shifting those old perceptions will result in significant breakthroughs.
What things do you need to change your mind about so you can create happiness?
FEEL
One rainy afternoon on a city bus, Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany. “The days are long, but the years are short," she realised. “Time is passing and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.
She later wrote a book on the subject and her conclusions are sometimes surprising, delightfully practical and often profound. She finds that money spent wisely really can buy happiness; novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; ‘treating’ yourself can make you feel worse; venting bad feelings doesn’t relieve them; and the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.
Gretchen suggests pausing to hold a meeting with yourself to explore the following questions…
- On a scale of 0 to 10, how alive do I feel? (0 being living dead, 10 being fully alive)
- When was the last time I felt really alive and what was I doing?
- What are seven activities, pleasures or events that will make me feel even more alive this week?
Next time you experience real joy, stop and pay attention. Take in the feeling and notice what message it brings for you. Be present.
“Seek out that particular attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, ‘This is the real me,’ and when you have found that… follow it.” William James
DO
The first step in creating happiness is simply acknowledging that you have the power to do so.
Say out loud - I create my own happiness.
Here are seven strategies to action this week that will create more happiness into your life:
1: Let go of the thought that your circumstances create your happiness. Instead, tell yourself repeatedly that you hold the power to create as much happiness as you desire.
2: Throughout the day, ask yourself - am I creating things that bring beauty and peace? This could be as simple as going for a walk, reading a book or catching up with a friend.
3: Reframe your thoughts. When you find yourself frustrated or thinking negatively, choose a new perspective and create an opportunity for peace.
4: Put experiences before things. Research has shown that acquiring more things does not equate to more happiness.
5: Express gratitude. We all have people who support us - tell those who lift you up that they make your life better and your heart lighter.
6: Remove the word ‘busy’ from your vocabulary for a week and observe how it impacts your mindset, behaviour, and connection with others. When someone asks how you are, what could you say instead of ‘busy’?
7: Spend time reflecting on the following big question: What do I need to let go of this year to create space for what I really want?
If you want a happy, fulfilling life - it is up to you to create it.
If you learn to take stock of your inner dialogue and pay attention to how you spend your time, you’ll gain a much deeper understanding of what you need to be happy. When you apply that knowledge, nothing will be able to stand in the way of creating a beautiful, happy life for yourself.
Read. Watch. Listen.
