I am not a doctor. I am not a researcher. I am not a happiness expert.<\/p>\n
I am a human being who has (at the time of posting this) lived for less than thirty years, and has accumulated thoughts about how life works. These are some of those thoughts. I hope that you get value from them.<\/p>\n
Here are seven necessary rules that I believe you need to live by in order to experience a durable sense of authentic happiness.<\/p>\n
Stress is simply the compounded unfelt feelings that live in your body. The more things you don\u2019t feel, the more stressed you feel.<\/p>\n
When you don\u2019t feel your feelings, tension shows up in your body. You get sick easier. It\u2019s harder to be happy about life.<\/p>\n
Practice cathartic practices.\u00a0Release anger<\/a>.\u00a0Relinquish jealousy<\/a>.\u00a0Cry fully<\/a>.<\/p>\n Remember\u2026 life isn\u2019t about feeling better, it\u2019s about getting better at feeling.<\/p>\n Regularly allow yourself the time and space to let it all out. You\u2019ll be glad you did.<\/p>\n We all suffer to the degree that our mind\/ego convinces us that we are alone. That we are isolated. That life is ours alone to suffer through.<\/p>\n Honouring your emotional states is necessary\u2026 but so is getting out of your head and back into the remembering that your life is ultimately about service to others.<\/p>\n When I feel stale, stuck, stagnant\u2026 I start chipping away at my service to humanity. I check in\u00a0with a client<\/a>\u00a0who needs support. I write an article that will hopefully alleviate pain in the world. I send one of my best friends a message telling them how much I love them.<\/p>\n When you get stuck in your head, try giving more.<\/p>\n Give whatever you can. Give your gifts. Make art. Volunteer. Ask someone you care about how you can make their life even 1% better, and then deliver on that promise.<\/p>\n This will be part of your life\u2019s mission\u2026 today, and forever.<\/p>\n A cluttered life is as ineffective as an umbrella with a hundred tiny holes in it.<\/p>\n Cut down on the number of things that you allow to take space in your calendar.<\/p>\n Invest in a few deep friendships rather than spreading yourself thin with a hundred acquaintances.<\/p>\n Acknowledge that you wear 20% of your clothing the most, and donate the rest of your wardrobe to people who will actually wear what you ignore.<\/p>\n Work in your zone of genius more often than not, and let go of the dozens of things that you do that are taxing, time wasting, and unfulfilling.<\/p>\n Live simply. Your heart will thank you for it.<\/p>\n Instead of expending endless energy trying to make yourself seen, known, and understood, seek to understand others.<\/p>\n How many months of your life will you save by avoiding petty jealousies, arguments, and ego-squabbles by seeking to understand the person across from you first.<\/p>\n Do you have a judgment about someone? Learn from it. Own your projections.<\/p>\n Does someone trigger you? Is it hard for you to be around them without being in your head and quietly resenting them? Great. Another learning opportunity. Use it all. Your mind is your greatest teacher if you are willing to observe it without judgment.<\/p>\n Everyone you cross paths with is a teacher for you. Never forget this simple fact.<\/p>\n Crying, self-reflection, honouring your body\u2026 all good things. But it is also imperative that you are regularly filling your life with positive flow states.<\/p>\n Ever heard of flow?\u00a0This guy wrote the bible on it<\/a>.<\/p>\n In essence, flow is the state of being fully immersed in a specific activity. You can experience flow while dancing, gardening, cooking, having sex, or creative writing.<\/p>\n Whatever it is that you do that makes hours pass by in the blink of an eye, make sure you\u2019re regularly scheduling these things into your calendar.<\/p>\n Honour your body.<\/p>\n Engage in exercise that feels like play. Drink enough water. Eat healthily. Sleep for at least 7.5 hours per night. Regularly engage your body with sensual touch or massage. Make these things non-negotiable.<\/p>\n Honour your mind.<\/p>\n Limit the amount of fear-based news (mental junk food) that you consume. Fill your brain with loving and inspirational messages from people whose brains you want your brain to soak up energy from. Spend time with friends who love you. Spend time with friends who challenge you.\u00a0Journal often<\/a>. See a\u00a0coach<\/a>\u00a0or therapist. Meditate on\u00a0gratitude<\/a>. Empty your mind to someone who is a loving and safe space.<\/p>\n Do these things often. Just as you can\u2019t eat enough in one sitting to be satiated forever, specific self-care habits must be engaged in on a consistent basis in order to experience the ongoing benefits.<\/p>\n Harvard did a\u00a075-year study<\/a>. The results? The quality and depth of your relationships is the biggest determining factor of long-term health and happiness, above all else.<\/p>\n Adding another $10,000 to your annual income probably won\u2019t make you that much happier. Hosting a weekly dinner gathering that allows you to dive deeper with your favourite people will make you happier.<\/p>\n Spend more time<\/a>\u00a0with your favourite people.\u00a0Go deeper<\/a>\u00a0with them. Regularly remind your tribe that\u00a0you love them<\/a>.<\/p>\n When you lie on your death bed, you will wish that you had apologized to someone you cared for. Or spent one more lazy afternoon with your best friend. Or told that one person how you\u00a0really<\/em>\u00a0felt about them.<\/p>\n Do that today. Invest in your relationships. Get offline and connect with your people. Now.<\/p>\n About The Author:<\/strong><\/p>\n2. Give more<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Live simply<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Seek to understand others<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Engage in regular flow states<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Honour your body and mind<\/strong><\/h3>\n
7. Invest in your relationships<\/strong><\/h3>\n