Happiness Archives - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Healthy Peach Profiteroles Recipe (Crushing Life’s Bruised Pride)

Print Recipe Healthy Peach Profiteroles Recipe 🍑

Healthy peach profiteroles are a way to crush life’s bruising blows. And sometimes that can be our own pride that’s crushed.

my healthy profiterole sweet joy to crush pride daily — Tasty party plate of healthy profiteroles with Greek yogurt, chocolate, and strawberries for daily joy 😋

Along with healthy peach profiteroles, below I share some encouragement so you can use daily joy like peaches to crush pride feelings and life’s negative situations.

Life doesn’t have to be peachy. But can be filled with divine peaches.

First off, we all remember how tough things got when we were starting out.

We didn’t know what joy meant. A joy ride had a different meaning than today’s joy in life’s ride. And we didn’t know the power magnitude in pride’s grip (…and maybe that’s something we need to learn about).

Especially if it feels heavy today.

…Like the world is against us and we’re pushed up against a wall sometimes. But, that’s part of the process in our growing, and gaining wisdom in our individual life journeys…

Wisdom that’s deeper in us and that starts in our minds, and then permeates into our bodies in the mind-body connection.

Wisdom is a choice and its growth is fed one choice at a time.

In wisdom, we know we’re empowered and have much more of a say in what happens to us than our circumstances. And we can speed up our growth by removing the inner rocks and blocks that stand in our way.

With time and more experiences, we often forget former trials that we’ve passed. But we want to bring them back to remembrance for today’s joy and to acknowledge how far we’ve come.

Today, smoother sailing and small pebbles in those same areas can become our new normal if we allow in the better perspectives, attitudes, and higher thinking ways, and make them our new habits.

It’s a daily journey because in any moment our subconscious minds can send us a trigger that sends a message wave of we’re not happy where we’re at, and if we let that permeate, then that’s our reality.

Often it’s ourselves we’re upset with, but our ego pride protects us from believing that we could be holding ourselves back.

That’s when we can refer back to allowing in higher thinking ways.

We can outsmart our ancestral wiring that was built during non-modern B.C. times (before Christ). 😊

And robots today don’t have this ego feature, but they do have other malfunctions. And in both ego and robot interactions we have, we want to apply our higher thinking wisdom for better outcomes.

Healthy Peach Profiteroles 🍑

Print Recipe

Healthy Peach Profiteroles

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, French

Ingredients

1 cup flour (combine bread and all purpose flour recommended)
1 tbsp butter (a small amount will do you for the lighter effect)
1/4 cup milk or nut milk
1-2 eggs (thick, smooth, and pipeable batter)
1 ripe peach
thick plain yogurt or Greek yogurt

Instructions

Cook flour, butter, and milk.
Let cool and add egg. If the batter isn't thick enough then add an additional egg.
Bake on 350°F for about 30-35 minutes.
Optional: brush a whisked egg (egg wash) for additional shine before baking.
Fill with yogurt and decorate with peach bits.

The culprit is our pride (that healthy peach profiteroles can remind you to be self-aware). And pride can be from high Pitta that peach profiteroles will help to you cool off).

Pride is the boulder we need to grow out of to remove. And most of the time all we need to do is the opposite and be humble, overriding what our helmet-protected heads tell us to do.

We can use kindness and healthy as a north star guide to help pull us up and out.

In metro city area culture, often these are countercultural moves and secondary priorities. I grew up in the most powerful city in the nation that’s always on the news. And being prideful is heightened, and appears as an invisible status symbol in the air…

I grew up believing that being perfect was an advantage in every way, and then over time re-learned that perfection got in the way of progress. Because perfection puffs up pride to get everything perfect when nothing is perfect.

I saw the damage toll in others who didn’t have the awareness to make changes.

And in my own wisdom and awareness, I saw striving for perfection as destruction in prioritizing results over relationships, health and personal growth. It robbed me of joy, peace, and progress.

And maybe for you it’s the same, or it’s some other pride-driven belief you were fed.

In modern society, we hail getting ahead which is good when it’s healthy, but when it’s sabotaging yourself or hurting others, that’s when it’s no longer working.

At the least, ego pride protects us from being vulnerable and crushed by the elements around us.

We defend by sticking up to rights and our feeling right. The problem is this divides us from others. And we rob ourselves of an opportunity for happiness and compassion for others.

Instead, we want to use humility and joy to crush pride.

The better news is we can witness our patterns and beliefs, and change them. For the previous few weeks, I shared my night, morning, and pool meditation ways that helped me in my journey, and they were all awake meditation moments allowing thoughts in (feeling the thoughts out).

…And I’m sure it was in those silent meditation moments that allowed for my breakthroughs leaving behind old, retired patterns that no longer served me. They were replaced by the loving thoughts.

And we all can do this throughout our day, one thought and action at a time.

Over time, we learn to react and say less like we did in our immature years. Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.

We walk away so we don’t energize negative thoughts. We change our thoughts, so that our feelings stay loving and calm. We gain joy to crush pride. And we can stay aware of our joyful thoughts that make us feel good in the moment and/or we look forward to in the future.

This helps us stay at peace, calm, and without unnecessary stress that we know causes health deterioration. We can use joy to crush pride, stress, and anxiety in one fell-swoop.

In peace, we see other people’s perspectives other than our own. We stay open, and remove any stubbornness that puts a rock between our happiness.

And when we do this at the start of the day as our daily attitude and habit, our life improves and we’re no longer stuck in those areas we want to grow that may seem non-related.

But everything is related…

When we remove the boulders we don’t need to carry inside, our life and situations gets better!

Crush Pride Morning Prescription

We expect days when we wake up on the wrong side of the bed or everything goes off. We have a few go-to places ready to change our sails into better seas and into a good mood.

And the best ways are in our minds, so we get to a place of joy to crush pride.

Part of pride is our ego fooling us into believing that we need to make our lives complicated and bigger because we’re not feeling happy or we’re not enough, when we have everything that is enough.

So to combat, we don’t accumulate more than we need (that can be coming from a Kapha imbalance).

We decide to shut off those unhappy beliefs, and wake up to simple encouraging messages, inspirations, and passions where we feel gratitude and appreciation for having life today.

We wipe off our clinging unhealthy ego pride that wants to get the better of us by staying aware.

We don’t let our moods and what others say or do change our joyful tune.

Joy is a medicine. And it’s naturally infectious. 🎉

Have a great week and hope you find a few minutes to enjoy peach profiteroles you make.

…Oh, and in the upcoming weeks, I share an update with you about one healthy habit I’ve adopted this year that maybe you’re interested in or thinking of starting.

And I have a super cool Ayurvedic series that will help us all starting off with some relief for the Vata autumn season. You can signup at the top of the site to receive notifications to my weekly blog articles when they come fresh off the press. 😊

Work Freedom For Happiness In Your Life (aka Creativity) You Deserve

If you could have more work freedom in your life, what would that look like?

I describe 3 freedoms below that I think would make all the difference in the world. 🌎

…And that you deserve in this life, so they’re worth fighting for! Good to be your own advocate or cheerleader for your BEST career or self-employed dreams.

Each of our personal desired versions of work freedom is different.

For me, like many of us, it’s not having a boss. And, being able to create my own schedule deciding when I’ll show up. In 2019, I started my humble self-employed journey after I left my last corporate job and office life.

As far as I’m concerned, I retired from my corporate career for good. Before that, I reported to many bosses with the exception of a few years in between when I dabbled on my own doing consulting work where I felt most empowered.

Some workplaces and bosses were good enough for a little while, and others, well… let’s just say they aren’t for everyone. 😉

All of us who have worked know what that’s like for at least part of our careers where we may have stuck it out as a stepping stone to climb the ladder 🪜 or as a bridge to our next venture.

…Or different turn. I’ve done all of the above to eventually move toward my better work freedom.

I know that not having the pieces fit together in the dozen or so roles from my first, second, or even third corporate career helped me realize that’s what I wanted! Every pivot made me more intentional about what I wanted my work life to look like.

And not having a mentor but instead becoming one, helped me realize I didn’t want to work for anybody EVER again.

But I had to take that windy journey in the corporate work world to confidently know that, and what I’m capable of…

And to also know that you can be excelling at your job that looks good on paper, but not be fulfilled.

Looking back, I realize those experiences made me the person I am today who’s resilient and not gonna settle for less than what the whole life has to best offer in every season (God willing!). No experience goes wasted.

And in my last corporate job, I had this whisper that could’ve been a billboard sign because it was that loud to me as by then I was used to following whispers that others often miss or ignore.

In my mind I heard, I would not get this time back. And from that point on a cascade of work problems followed where I knew I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The only way UP was OUT. And then I got my time freedom back. Once again I felt cage-free to pursue new opportunities.

And I know I’m not alone in how I feel here because even the conservative peers I’ve talked to in their mid-careers who left jobs prematurely before they thought they would, said they felt a weight lifted off their shoulders when they gave their notice.

Feeling good was a sign that a right decision was made. And every time I gave my notice, that’s how I felt.

But that satisfying feeling fades into now what? that gradually replaces excitement. And this is where people differ. Some would run from misery to insecurity and others would stick it out and stand firm for security.

And you know where you stand on that.

In the years I started in the workforce, workers didn’t leave jobs as they do for mental health and happiness reasons that are recognized these days. Our younger workers today value health over stability and moving away from discomfort and into promising ideas and possibilities.

The workforce generations today have amped up the employers’ game where bosses can’t get away with the same toxic behavior or red tape antics they used to without a backlash or being caught on camera. And I think that’s great that our society is moving away from that type of dysfunctional workplace.

We don’t have time for that as we’re making room for workplace robots in the near future, so it helps if us humans get along now as the compassionate type of the two.

So #1 is creating work freedom from the wrong kind of bossing.

And #2 is freedom from stress or anxiety.

As someone who valued work-life balance in her 20s, I also believe reducing stress is underrated and needs more stressing these days. Having lived through stressful work situations, I know enduring stress can be the cause of so many health problems and arising mystery ailments.

I think stress reduction is even more important than sleep because if you’re tired, your body crashes. With stress, it could go on quietly for years without visible detection and a remedy. Our bodies do their best to try to daily whisper to us in headaches, our skin, and even our bathroom life. 🚽

But if we ignore the signs for too long, the wear-and-tears become loud. And in those anxious-filled stressful seasons, we aren’t running optimally as our self-care and immunity defenses go down.

Not to mention our creativity isn’t reachable.

…And creativity I believe is where our happiness is. It’s the passion we can control, that gives us freedom.

When we can birth new ideas or re-create old ones for new life, our body cells are happier and that radiates through our daily life, outlook, and how we feel about ourselves.

Don’t you beam from to ear-to-ear when you’ve contributed and acknowledged (or have been recognized by someone) that those new ideas came from you?

That uplifting feeling creates space for opportunity and opens doors for hope, more achievement, and possibilities that we all aspire to in our lives.

But most workers never get to that sweet spot. I know I didn’t because of all the work limitations…

And the answer isn’t to quit your job necessarily. The answer is to add more playtime in the quality free time, doing the creative things that light you up and you’re passionate about. And maybe those activities become your next season.

A few hours could be an enjoyable weekend afternoon. And then let those happy feelings and memories carry you through the tough week ahead if that’s what you face. And then look forward to the next free future playtime afternoon.

And if you find that you’re skipping off from work to do more of that, then maybe that’s a sign.

Because having been on both sides, I now know that not doing daily work that inspires you gets old.

The new could be: if today were your last day (not at work, but your LAST DAY), would you be happy?

…And if the answer is no, then coming up with a plan to do more of those passionate things or to discover more of what you want to do is going to help get you to your happiest place.

Explore creativity and develop your gifts, talents, and abilities. Remember, you won’t get this time back. And this season will end.

Not all plans come to fruition, but you’ll never know something better or your highest achieving potential self if you don’t try.

Take some risks and do projects that you want to do more of or explore to see what you like at both work and in your personal time. With a more enriched life, you can dream new and better dreams and start heading in the new re-routed direction that becomes your NEW LIFE.

And eventually, if you keep pacing slowly, inching toward what you figure out you like, you’ll be doing more of what you want and not what was old in the past.

Like a butterfly that struggles to get out of the chrysalis, the creatures that we are, in determination successfully make it out.

Believe that in yourself.

That’s so liberating! 🦋

In the humble beginnings, like most, you pay the price of being inexperienced, and then the price is paid and life gets better with experiences.

And Life is unlimited. And you see it as abundant.

And once you get a taste of the potential and the genie is let out of the bottle, you know you’ll never go back to the old, lesser ways.

OK, and finally…

# 3. Mind freedom is another freedom worth getting. It’s another one that slips under the radar (and can cause stress).

But, with mind awareness, we know we can change our happiness from the inside out.

For whatever life and work freedom you’re yearning for most, mind freedom is something to create space for in yourself first to be successful.

It grows when you make mindset shifts from old ways, beliefs, and attitudes, and rewrite daily thoughts and doubts.

Because so easily, what is within our potential reach can easily fade if the mind isn’t daily reset, in-check, and our motivations (our why) isn’t prioritized.

So often our busy situations and demanding lives can get in the way and make us tired and lazy. And that’s how we get stuck while our clocks keep running.

So having your why and what defines your freedom can keep you moving toward your north star. 🧭

And keep you from going back to the old thinking ways that are meant to stay in the past that got you to where you are today.

Keep pressing forward in your life and let that forward motion become your guide in life to greater freedom and happiness.

…That includes a passionate, purposeful life of creativity if you want that, where you get to express your human you-niqueness and contributions where work is joy. Wouldn’t that be great?

And if you want to get started or know how to happily content create consistently online (and not burn out), I wrote “a recipe” list of how to do that enjoyably, that you can check out.

Today’s Happiness

Dreamy healthy baked whole wheat beignets. ☁️

On this Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras in French), I’m remembering my past visit to New Orleans around Mardi Gras celebrations. And these days I’m celebrating how I live life so differently. And in one big way, is how I view happiness. You too?

And one smaller way is how I eat and bake healthy… as proof, here are some healthy whole wheat beignets with a light dusting of powdered sugar compared to those heavy-handed sugar days.

But since those trying earlier years, I’ve come to know that happiness comes from a different deeper lens in the thoughts today. And happiness is in your ability to control, changing arising and spinning dysfunctional ego mind thoughts from the past.

In the daily moments, happiness is searching for and magnifying past happy experiences. For me, that’s recalling birthday parties and cakes. And I have even more photos as evidence (but I’ll spare you those this time). 😉

And the happy, good memories are not usually what the mind actually serve up in the messy thoughts that a busy day can bring. That’s anything but happiness. So for happiness, it’s good to be mindful of these specific thoughts:

Past thoughts. Consciously be aware of re-framing the bad memories and negative repeated tapes that interruptingly come up in the day. And these thoughts crowd out the happy ones. So it’s often necessary to rewrite your present thoughts of the past so you can keep them in the past…

Because your today’s happiness depends on that…

And your happiness depends on what version of thoughts you want to magnify today.

The mind often likes to serve up what we didn’t get that others got. And in those past dysfunctional areas dwelling in the present, keeps us playing small in our lives. Even decades later.

Like, I remember a few daily childhood situations where I wasn’t put first by others. Because that’s what the brain does in the present moment. The brain doesn’t pull up memories like all the years of having celebrational cake for birthdays and throwing fun birthday parties.

So to better get out of that fast (think fast!), we can either think of better past memories. Or we can focus on the present… And in this moment…well, I’m writing but you’re doing what you’re doing. So having a good standby conscious thought ready to replace the bad thoughts is what you want.

And that’s why as a reminder, gratitude is so important. Because you can always be thankful and replace negative thoughts with appreciation, and that can be the maze out of the fuzzy mind on any given day.

Or putting love on yourself: “I am loved.” That’s a post-it note worth keeping around! 💌

Remember to focus on what helps you out completely, not what soothes the same hurts time and time again like a band-aid.

Heal the hurt and then rewrite what is served up. Healing is found in the re-write thoughts and not the re-living of the same past storyline that happened many decades ago. You already suffered once from the situation, which was more than enough.

And today, it’s not physically hurting you unless you allow your thoughts to keep going there in the same way.

Present thoughts. In this moment and today, you can apply wisdom knowing what’s up vs. what’s down (right or wrong as best you know). And every day there’s an opportunity for wrong to creep in.

So it’s good to be objective. See the what-is truth behind your thoughts and operate from that perspective… Not what it could be or what you think it could be. And you’re NOT the bad person for saying “no!” Think the opposite. You’re the foolish person saying “yes” to something you don’t agree with out of guilt or feeling selfish. The ego brain loves that beating up yourself-stuff.

And always saying yes or letting guilty feelings take over are costing happiness, unproductive time, and emotional energy.

If you think you’re being selfish, that’s all twisted information anyway because when you’re *really* acting selfish, you don’t give another thought to it!

And there are other areas that go under the radar where we did act selfish without us having a conscience. So then we know our brains aren’t always helping us!

…So don’t buy into every thought you have.

…Stop the madness! Go with your gut-feeling thoughts and check in with your heart that guides in whispers. Is what you’re thinking and feeling, loving? … and to you?

And that again takes knowing what your right and wrongs are, so you do have to noodle them out some.

Sometimes noodling takes up mind space or sleep, but they’re worth the short time because you don’t want to be caught deer in the headlights without knowing your thoughts and how to respond in certain life situations. So you save time in the long-run.

You do want your boundaries honored, especially with others.

Others will try to cross over your boundaries. And don’t let that bother you. We’re all imperfect (and some of us try more than others). All you can count on is yourself.

For others who cause ripples, love the person but hate the action that they’re responsible for. And give tougher love more often when needed. If someone in your daily life today is not carrying their weight or responsibility, then let their actions catch up with their words.

And more importantly, don’t be part of their actions and antics. That would just be okay-ing their dysfunctions and now yours. 🤨

And for the future thoughts… Uncertainty is certain for everyone, so be happy today.

Worry is optional. Use worry to prepare and write out potential answers and solutions. Noodle out. And then forget about it.

Other than that, worry produces nothing.

And anxiety is the same. …I get it. I’m a Vata. The anxious symptoms are not something you can control the onset of. And you try to manage best each time in life’s sticky situations and triggers. But use those opportunities to rewrite how you handle your anxious symptoms.

We first developed anxiety and panic in our childhood pasts where we first felt anxieties about out of our control situations (like 90% of the time). And if not careful they become wound thoughts.

And if you’re primarily a Pitta, you’re not off the hook either 😊…maybe you deal with anger issues still; and Kaphas, hang onto clinging issues.

And since we have earth, wind, and fire in us (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), we can express any of those counterproductive ways at any time.

So don’t let your ego think you have it better or worse than anyone else. Rewrite those “better than others” thoughts as practice. That’s another sour ego mind trick.

Our happiness is in our wisdom (and maybe knowledge applied from above). It’s in what we do today in our thoughts and redesign how we want to think and be.

And if you want to operate in more daily wisdom, I can’t think of a better source than seeking Biblical wisdom (like that in Psalms/Proverbs and in the New Testament). If you weren’t taught along the way like so many of us, you have this resource that is reliable and relevant.

And even better, develop the fruits of the spirit that include kindness, goodness, patience, self-control, peace, joy, and love. And love yourself first. That could be your guiding mantra this week 💚💛💜

Did you know you could listen to these snack blog posts in usually under 10 minutes?

Grow Self-Awareness For Your Happiness (Part 2 of 2)

Grow self-awareness to “believe in yourself” never grows old. That mantra can change your entire day and how you feel about yourself… and still be you, but better!

Be you and believe in yourself are good daily self-awareness mantras. — Be You and Believe in Yourself! 🪞And love yourself with chocolate heart cookies. A health conscious sweet cookie recipe below… 🧡

A few weeks ago, I published Part 1 (of this 2-part series) on using yoga meditation as a way to develop and grow self-awareness for your happiness. And the one thing yoga and your happiness have in common is self-love.

Think about this, you are loving on yourself when you’re focused inward (and in yoga pretzel bends 🥨).

…So first and foremost, love yourself first.

And if that’s what you’re doing, then that love energy radiates and carries over to the (and your) world that needs more light.

And know that the opposite of love is fear. (It’s not hate that can be usually what we’re constantly upset about).

And by knowing this, we can do something about it as we grow self-awareness.

Our ego is built-into our brain construction that serves up internal obscure thought messages to us every day in a “lizard brain” protection way. Triggers turn into threats in the subconscious ego mind and thrives in our dark area where self-love is missing.

So to grow, we want to bring back love to restore.

Ego fear shows up first in our thoughts, so we have a chance then to shut it down, walk away, change our thoughts, and replace with loving thoughts that grow self-awareness and our happiness.

And if anyone you know thinks they’re not affected, then their ego is definitely playing them every day.

As silly as it can sound to our ego minds, telling yourself and believing “I am loved” (or substitute with your fave loving mantra to build yourself up) will eventually kick out the ugly ego imposter ways.

And then you have a concrete go-to way that helps the next time. And you count on that there will be a next time whether it’s later in the day, week, or a few weeks away.

And if this ego idea is newer to you, think of ego as fear and how you feel when you’re scared in some way. Similarly, an unhealthy amount of ego shows up from time to time from some situational trigger, memory, or enemy forces (where ego stands for Edging God Out if you’re spiritual).

And know that ego fear is disguised on a platter to you in your subconscious thoughts, behaviors, and decisions. More serious is when it shows up in you, and that affects others in your actions if the thought is allowed to grow.

So, do yourself good…

Healthy Love yourself more… and stop the ego fear madness!

When you bring out the accumulated baggage in self-awareness that you’ve been carrying around already too long, let it go, and magnify self-love, then you’re on your merry way to personal happiness.

I wrote a special Valentine’s Day personal happiness article on self-love (the most important love relationship you can have, and that’s no hype!)… so, enjoy and I’ll leave you here with some tasty chocolate biscuits 🍪 for your own sweet inspo.

chocolate almond heart cookies recipe. Print Recipe

Chocolate Almond Hearts

Ingredients

1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 egg, room temperature
1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup substitute)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder (use 70% or higher dark cocoa for added antioxidants and nutrients)
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Mix dry and wet ingredients together.
Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
Roll out cookie dough. Add bench flour as needed.
Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes.
Let cool and then dip in melted chocolate. Refrigerate.

In Your Pursuit of Happiness

Are you in the pursuit of happiness? Chickpea pie (like the one baked in love above) makes me hap-pea. And happiness is for a moment that’s different than meaningful joy.

This is a life area I think many people these days are redefining as their expectations for happiness fell short at least in the past few years.

And they don’t know what to do to change that as an undercurrent running in their minds as external situations are getting tougher.

If that’s you, be encouraged you’re in good company. We’ve all had to change situations that we didn’t choose.

And I’m gonna share some nuggets on how to help change the tide (and how I changed my ways).

First of all, I can totally relate to a chain of disappointments. And that’s how I got to see them as God’s appointments.

I was dealt some lemons… and I don’t know anyone who hasn’t who has lived this life for at least a quarter of a century.

Losses, unhappy situations, and failures are hard to swallow (and doesn’t help the pursuit of happiness). But going through is the fastest way to get to the other side. We often slow our progress by having pity parties. I know I did until I finally caught on.

By being aware you focus on the positives so you can thrive and not dwell on the same stuck feelings and thoughts that come back like a boomerang.

Your mind-body remembers, and so every February when nothing was going on… I was reminded of what wasn’t going on that I could’ve buried earlier if I knew what to do.

But waiting seasons are needed, and that’s how I gradually learned how to flip the switch in not getting what I wanted. And trade that in for contentment and deeper joy, which produces feeling good.

And that’s what those who seem to have it all on the outside, don’t have…

I started out my young adult life wanting the same desires and dreams that most people have: a corporate job they are successful and feel good about (or at least aren’t feeling miserable in), a family of their own, good relationships, nice stuff, a college degree or two, and financial freedom.

These were the same sort of accomplishments many in the Washington DC metro area I grew up in, had.

But being in a high-pressure cooker environment that feeds into high-achieving egos didn’t help. That encouraged more of a self-absorbed life that turns into unfulfilling boredom and unhappiness.

After a while, I snapped out thinking, “there’s got to be more to life than just this.”

And while I had scattered bits and pieces of that old life description that carried me through my earlier years, that’s not the life I have now.

But what I do have today is a different proud lens to look out from, that’s everyday contentment. It’s not the same happiness lens that I used to aspire to that became a never-ending, up-and-down roller coaster ride.

…I hated that lifestyle based on external situations because the down was always a hard fall and a huge contrast from the going up feelings that felt good for the moment.

The problem with that is that you’re always chasing the next thing and high that seems better. It’s a bottomless pit because the feeling can never be satiated.

In this life, we always grow weary or tired of anything after a while. A good thing never stays good the same way for us. Everything is temporary, as are feelings.

But if you’re feeling deeper joy (that comes from the spirit) inside you every day, that’s sustaining for the soul (mind, body, free-will, and emotions). We can’t change the way we’re wired as humans.

And you’re not your mind-body that drives your thoughts and feelings, even though you make the decisions.

So what helps to feel good every day is to be productive, just like you need good sleep every day so you have energy.

And joy energy is needed to get more out of this life so you can show up creative, and have enough to give out to others.

Here are a couple of good idea reminders:

1. Tune into the better daily channels for inner peace.

So if you’re like most in the pursuit of happiness, pay attention to the channels brought in, both external in what to listen to and watch, and internal thoughts aligned with the spirit (the whispers that bring out the joy).

Since I’m not in pursuit of the happiness that I started my life with, I listen to my inner desires.

Sometimes I’m a tired Vata because I don’t stick to an exact sleep routine (…good to get to bed early and get your proper ZZZ’s I tell my Night Owl self). But that’s all fixable with a cuppa joe and the next night’s sleep.

…What’s not fixable is waking up and focusing on the wrong desires (or strategy of life if you want to be more concrete).

And so when I get going, I have purpose and joy inside me that I get to make progress and impact in the day, and have meaningful work. I do life my way with freedom and space… and without pressures that sink in that create stress. I set a schedule that works for me, and when I get paid I can do more of the things I love. 🧡

That’s not how it was when I settled in as an employee. Or when I was starting out on my own.

If this or your dream life is more what you want and it’s not what you have today, start by figuring out how you can build that life by taking one baby step at a time. And then you’ll get more clarity from that step and in the next step.

See how you can get a few extra hours of time and freedom to do what you want.

…And then you won’t have regrets about your work life when you look back at the years that went by.

That was a big driver for me.

And looking back, none of the past work situations are relevant to the actual work I do today, even though they propelled me forward to keep growing and use some of the experiences gained for my next moves.

And not even the budding small business blog I had back in 2009 that took me back into a new corporate working life. And guess what?… yours truly here is still blogging today on more meaningful topics. ✍️

Your life doesn’t have to stay in the same lines it started in. No one says a straight-line work path to retirement is the best life except for culture and critics. If you take a life-changing sabbatical at 35 you get to take all that gained information you gathered and use it for the rest of your life.

And eventually, every situation and everyone’s situation changes.

And that’s more evidence that situations good or bad, happy or sad, are fleeting. What’s lasting is YOU who has come out with more knowledge and experiences. And maybe good memories too.

In the process of tough circumstances, trials, and setbacks, you become more resilient, patient, content, and learn what this life is more about so you can lean into what is good for your life that produces happiness.

And that brings me to a deeper #2…

2. Find out what God wants from you

…And as my life unraveled I realized I was chasing the wrong dreams, and some led to problems and that helped me find my new life dreams.

And then even some healthy dreams that I was successful at and growing didn’t pan out because the timing wasn’t right (which means God wanted me somewhere else).

So, I’m actually writing a new book about finding this newer life (that everyone can)… and how to more easily co-create and get to fulfill bigger plans and heart dreams that were promised in your design before you were born.

…And in my old life, I always had healthy achieving desires. But they weren’t the exact ones that were designed for me by the Creator who created it all. His plan takes faith, belief, and patience. There’s a process.

That’s what I’ve come to know. And that’s the opposite of the “if it’s meant to be, it’s up to me” mindset and lifestyle I grew up in.

He has a unique plan and bigger dreams for each of us that needs a different higher internal lens to discern. And being in the pursuit of happiness and following what culture defines as success doesn’t help. But having daily wisdom, joy, and peace does.

The book is one of my new year’s goals. We need a revolution of good change (that’s the new resolution) to be able to thrive in our exciting, new world emerging.

If you want to know when my book will be available, signup to be on my list.

And in your new year pursuits and heart’s desires, maybe you decide to rewrite your pursuit of happiness goals and align them to the written stars for you and who you’re becoming. 🌟

OH, OH, OH… and Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! 🎄