Are you Happy?

Happy Friday everyone! 

I just started reading The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor and it has me reminiscing : How ultimately do you define if you're happy? 

It seems like from the day you are brought into this world there is this task reward system in place.  Get an A and you'll be happy, get a promotion and you'll be happy, get married and you'll be happy and the list goes on. 

I know I thought this way and it's been how I've lived my whole life, but realize as these accomplishments are hit, instead we set new things to obtain in order to stay "happy" .   So when will we truly be happy? 

As discussed in the Happiness Advantage many believe that we need to work hard, be more successful to be happy.  However, studies have shown that is actually backwards.  Instead happiness fuels success, not the other way around.

Someone once told me I don't seem happy and they would be correct.  If there's one thing I can't do is pretend to be something I'm not.  The clearest way I can explain this is that I've built this shiny great house that looks amazing on the outside from what was expected of me from society, family and other forces, but inside it was a complete mess and total chaos.  The house doesn't represent me and what I want to do in this life, but instead represents what's expected of me from others.  So begins the process of tearing down the house and starting from scratch to build something that represents me and what I want.  I'm just at the beginning of this journey, but all I can say is that it's been freeing and I'm so excited for what's to come in the future. 

I hope all of you are living your honest best life and doing what you love most.  We only have one life, why not live it how you want it to be?

"Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like."   

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