People who intentionally adapt unlock doors to possibility and potential. Now she helps women build the skills to raise capital and build businesses. There is also Sheree, a young corporate lawyer, who, with no experience in entrepreneurship, walked away from her job and ended up starting the largest co-working space for female-led entrepreneurs in Australia. She made a conscious decision to move on from her career as a farmer to that of a yoga teacher, helping other people find their inner peace. This didn’t pull her down: In her grief, she chose gratitude and made an intentional choice to continue living a full life not only for herself and for her mental wellbeing, but for others who relied on her. The news came shortly after she learned of his unexpected suicide. At the age of 60, she lost her entire life savings after investing them in her brother’s business. This mindset and behavioral shift helped them lean into uncertainty, embrace emotions (both positive and negative), and adapt to their environment with intention and meaning. The people who felt the most fulfilled were the ones who had learned to let go of the need to feel happy all the time and had not only accepted the ups and downs that come with being alive but had also come to appreciate them. Some psychologists refer to this as emodiversity - the ability to experience a diverse range of emotions in equal measure. As they processed those negative emotions, it helped them uncover what truly mattered to them. Through listening to people’s stories, I also found that those who allowed themselves to fully process so-called “negative” emotions, along with the more positive ones, led happier lives. The three greatest barriers to leading a fulfilled and happy life seemed to be distraction, fear, and a lack of curiosity about oneself, others, and the world in general. Many of the people I interacted with carried a fear of failure, financial instability, and judgement from others and themselves around not being good enough. Through these experiments, I noticed a few consistent themes. I ran workshops with thousands in Australia, New Zealand, and the Unites States to explore and unpack what holds us back from living lives we actually feel fulfilled by, as opposed to those we consider “fulfilling” by definition. I interviewed more than 100 people between the age of 22 and 70 from various walks of life. I spent three years conducting a series of experiments. I set myself a bold mission - that by 2025, I would teach 10 million humans how to find their happiness.īut to do that, I needed data and insights. My goal in starting this company was to redefine what it means to be happy by giving myself and others the skills and language to relate to “happiness” in a more realistic and healthier way. I left my job as an executive at a global company, relocated my family from Perth to Melbourne, bid adieu to an 18-year relationship, and started, a purpose-led company with the sole intent of helping others live happier lives. What was I missing? The things that made me truly happy - human connection, positively impacting the lives of others, and being present - had been sidelined by my pursuit of success. I realized the way I had defined success was based on someone else’s definition. But once I arrived at that place, I still felt unfulfilled. Up until that point, I had believed that if I ticked a series of boxes (flashy career, two-story home, fast car, international travel) I would reach “success” and live my days out happy. How do you experience happiness if you don’t know sadness and pain? The day you land that promotion you’ve been longing for might also be the day you suffer your first heartbreak. Not only is that impossible, but it’s also unhealthy. It’s a state of mind, and you don’t need to be in it every moment of every day. We are taught that, once we finally find it, we’ll be forever satisfied in our lives, and so we live feeling overwhelmed and inadequate, chasing this dream, never stopping to question if it is, in fact, flawed. Most of us are led to believe that happiness is a final destination - one that can be reached if we make the right choices, learn from our mistakes, and keep pushing forward.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |