What Brings you Happiness and Joy?
“Folks Are Usually About As Happy As They Make Their Minds Up To Be.” — Abraham Lincoln
Going through the motions never leads to a life full of passion and happiness.
The sooner you figure it out the sooner you quit going through the motions.
What brings happiness to your life?
I know what you’re thinking . . .
- My family
- My friends
- My health
Pretty standard, though. I think you can do better than that.
Not only that, I think doing better will add a little more fire to your soul.
Let’s light you up!
Which Scenario Best Resembles You?
Scenario 1:
John loves his family and they bring him an immense amount of happiness every day.
Asking him “what brings you happiness” is kind of a silly question because, of course, he will respond with “my family”.
He goes to work, not really thinking about whether or not he likes it or if it is what he wants to do forever.
He finds himself going through the motions without giving his life, nor his family’s, much thought.
Scenario 2:
Johns friend, Alex, also loves his family and they bring him just as much happiness on a daily basis
The difference? Alex understands that happiness is deeper than his family; It’s the peace of mind that he is able to provide them when he does his job well.
When you ask Alex “what brings you happiness” it’s provokes thought. His understanding of happiness is deeper than surface level.
He responds with something along the lines of, “providing my wife and kids with an immense amount of peace . . . because they trust me”
Due to this deep understanding, he goes to work knowing that it’s up to him to give it his all.
They are creating a life together.
They have a vision.
And he values his responsibility to do his part.
Every day becomes a joyous step in the right direction.
The Question That Matters
Where will John and Alex be 10 years from now? Who would you guess has accumulated more success?
Let me clarify: “Success” isn’t assumed to be limited to financial riches, rather, an overall peace of well-being.
So next time someone (most likely me) asks you, “what brings happiness to your life?” give it the thought it deserves.
Dive deeper into yourself and visualize it.
Your thought process will look something like this:
- What is it that brings you happiness? → Family
- Why do they bring you happiness? → Because of the time and memories we create each day and the way our desired responsibilities complement each other.
- Do I make them happy? → Yes
- How? → Because I take responsibility for providing them with the peace of mind that we are creating, and living, a beautiful life. And I couldn’t take on this responsibility without them.
- So, what is it that brings you happiness? → Providing my family with peace of mind.
Congratulations, you’ve just gone from surface-level John to soul-on-fire Alex.
The difference between living a passionate life & a mundane one is as simple as a few layers.
Take the time to explore them because your future self relies on it.
This doesn’t have to be something you announce to your friends and family, in fact, I’d rather you keep it to yourself.
Peace of mind and happiness are personal.
The more you keep them to yourself the more powerful it is. This is because it demonstrates that it is truly an internal desire and not a superficial one that you came up with that looks good to those around you.
If you feel like you need to announce it then it’s likely that you’re looking for acceptance as opposed to truly identifying what your internal desires are.
Conclusion
- Identifying what truly makes you happy needs to be deeper than the surface-level.
- Failing to do so will leave you going through the motions.
- Dive deep into yourself and visualize it.
- The difference between living a passionate & a mundane life is as simple as a few layers.
- Keeping it to yourself demonstrates it is an internal desire, not a superficial one.
With this, I leave you with one question:
What brings happiness and joy into your life? (I told you I’d be the next person to ask you this).
Call to Action
If you enjoyed this article you will love You’re Overcomplicating Purpose (And How to Fix It)
Think + Write + Discover + Be
I’m excited for you.
Dal
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