We know that health is all encompassing. It's holistic in nature and has many moving parts. I've learned over the years in my coaching practice that often times the obstacles one faces with their health runs much deeper than eating dark leafy greens and exercise.
What about happiness?
Do you have to work at happiness or is it a choice?
Research says you can turn on happiness (it's a choice) and you have the ability to do so with consistent daily action.
Perspective also helps too.
I have always been an avid reader. As much as I enjoy a great novel now and again, I've always gravitated towards books about health, finance, spirituality, and personal growth; books that provide you with insight, perspective and an opportunity to grow from within. These types of books are my jam!
As a young girl, books allowed me an opportunity for hope and healing. I was always "looking" for ways to make myself feel "whole" and complete because there was a time in my life where I felt terribly empty.
Losing my father (age 3) at a very young age left a huge hole in my heart for decades. When you suffer a loss that young, its an incredibly unique situation; your lack of knowledge about that person, experiences, even emotions aren't even developed at that time.
Children that young don't have the capacity to understand grief, let alone the ability to experience it.
Was it a blessing at that time? I don't know, and I often questioned that for years. What I do know and what I have learned is that when a child looses a parent, they typically grieve for the rest of their lives, specifically during milestone moments, professional gains, wins, losses etc.
You wish that they were there to experience all of the joy (and upsets) right along with you.
That said, that's no longer my reality and I'm NOW, finally OK with that. It's taken years of reading, sessions with the amazing Cara Lehman (this sealed the deal for good) living my purpose, and self care (diet, exercise, etc.) to feel whole and 100% happy.
It was like a switch turned on instantaneously one day-an Ah-Ha moment-don't you love those?!
I'm truly at peace and love every aspect of life and look forward to the opportunities that it presents each day.
The Secret To Happiness
I learned that there really isn't a secret, it's a process.
Happiness starts with expectation and perspective.
Happiness shouldn’t be something you wait for and work for as if it needs to be earned. For example, happiness shouldn’t depend on external conditions, much less circumstances as unstable and potentially fleeting as career success and rising net worth.
"Once you realize was that you'll never get to happiness as long as you hold on to the idea that as soon as you do this or get that or reach this benchmark you'll become happy."-Mo Gawdat
If you are interested in reading more on the topic of happiness, spirituality, and and what you can do to achieve it, here are some of my favorite resources:
Solve For Happy: Engineer Your Path To Joy
Proof Of Heaven: A Neurosurgeons Journey Into The Afterlife
May Cause Miracles: A 40-Day Guidebook of Subtle Shifts for Radical Change and Unlimited Happiness
Yours in good health and happiness,
Christine xo