Happiness
Want a happy life? Start doing difficult things.
There is a great paradox in what we think should make us happy and what actually makes us happy. Autumn is almost here and there are so many wonderful things to look forward to – park walks with flasks filled with hot chocolate, big jumpers that feel like a hug, soft blankets and scented candles. And it is important to savour and enjoy all these things, especially when the winter blues start showing up.
And although these things make people feel happy in the moment, they don’t fill the void we have for a meaningful life. Imagine it’s your 120th birthday and there’s a TV crew in your living room. They want to know what constitutes a meaningful life. It is very unlikely you’d say: “eating apple crumble and watching Netflix”, even though you might love doing these things. What you would probably do, is list things that were hard to do – like overcoming your own limitations, learning new things, helping other people. And studies support this. People who do things aligned with their values and purpose, even when they are difficult, report higher life satisfaction, comparing to those who only do what feels good in the moment.
So as autumn approaches, think of what your focus is going to be, what are the difficult things you are going to do? Learn a new skills, volunteer at a local charity, start a blog? Whatever you decide, make sure it aligns with your values and your purpose. Does it help you be the person you want to be? Remember to reward yourself with all the wonderful things that the cold season has to offer.
If you’re not sure where to start – get in touch and I’ll help you figure it out.