Claiming the Happy Crap
Happiness. Yeah, big deal. I’ll be happy when I _________________ (fill in the blank)
Honestly, that’s what I used to think about happiness. No time for that “happy crap” – got stuff to do! And as for the people who made a living dealing with all of that emotional stuff? Wow, what a waste of time!
Now I am one of those people. My how things have changed. In retrospect, I guess they haven’t changed all that much. I was thinking about it the other day – the extreme satisfaction, joy and, yes happiness that I can now help people feel instantly when we unravel life’s challenges is felt so deep in my soul that I now know that for most of my life I wasn’t living my true purpose.
Like I said, things haven’t really changed all that much. When I used to work with computers (you know, the really important stuff in life) and speak to engineers, I always had a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul in my pocket. I’d do my lecture on protocol and TCP/IP, and then read a story about some life challenge – getting through tough times, being in the moment or dealing with people.
Yesterday we had another amazing Inner Circle group coaching call. Dr. Ray and I answered questions about what to do when you:
- – Just lost your job
- – Need to make money fast
- – Have health challenges
- – More family to feed
- – Want to grow a business faster
Big stuff. Life stuff. And at the root of it all is emotions. And happiness. How could I have ever thought that was unimportant? Well, not anymore! Several of these people in the coaching club were laughing when they got off the phone. The problem hadn’t disappeared, but they were now able to be happy in the midst of the problem. Perfect!
You too can be happy, no matter what’s happening in your life. Here are a couple of ways to shift yourself out of a funk:
1. Play a happy song. If you can’t find one, I suggest Michael Franti’s Say Hey (I’m kind of addicted to this song at the moment)
2. Get back in the moment. When you’re worrying about your future, you will be fearful and anxious. When you are dwelling in the past, you will feel regret or sadness. Being in this moment, right now makes it impossible to feel any of those emotions. The future hasn’t happened – you’re making it up. The past is gone. Music can also bring you back. Listen closely (and watch) the lyrics to Nickelback’s If Today Was Your Last Day
3. Acknowledge your emotions to move on. Get out a piece of paper and put a line down the middle. In the left column, write down all the reasons why your current situation stinks. Get it all out. Acknowledge every negative emotion you have around it. Then in the right column, brainstorm all the things you get to be, do or have because this problem is in your life. (Do this part with a friend if you need help).
The good news is that if you’re not happy, you get to fix it. You don’t have to spend so much time trying to figure things out – you already know what’s not working. That’s what you get to change.
Isn’t life interesting?