Happy loooong weekend! Hopefully you're reading this while sipping wine on your patio, lounging on the beach, or snuggling on the couch with someone you love. That's what long holiday weekends are about: Doing what you love.
And yet, in “real” life, we often don't. We make excuses to not do the things we love and it's slowly killing our happiness.
My client “Jennifer,” has ached to be a singer since she was a little girl. She went to college for musical composition; she got her masters degree in fine arts. And then for the past 10 years, she has worked at a desk job in the music industry from 8 – 6, leaving her drained and depleted with no energy for songwriting, which has only left her more depressed and questioning herself.
What do you love to do that you aren't making time for?
What excuse did you recently make to skip yoga or the painting class you've wanted to start?
What lie are you telling yourself about the burning desire of your heart?
What if you told yourself the truth and allowed yourself to do what you love? How would you feel then?
This is how one of my clients felt after acknowledging her true dreams.
I don't blame Jennifer for not following singing and I don't blame you. I've been there. We've all be there. It feels scary and sometimes downright impossible to do what you love. Society tells moms that it's selfish to take time for themselves. Magazines tell you that success means being a Vice President with a 6-figure salary and big house by the time you're 30. Your mom questions why you want to start your own business when you have such a good paying job now. Your best friend asks if you've thought about all that might go wrong. So you question yourself, stay stuck in worry, and become paralyzed in life.
Then, every time you listen to the fear, doubt, and naysayers, you kill a little bit of your spirit. You get sad and defeated, and then you feel so lost and so confused that you don't even know what you want anymore. We must break the cycle.
I've seen this pattern with nearly EVERY client I work with: We put our joy last and it's not working.
That's why the final key to my Summer Happiness Series: 5 Keys to Happiness {AKA What I Learned on My Summer Vacation} is this: Do what you love.
This applies to everything in life. You must do the hobbies you love – even if your kids are screaming when you leave to go to painting class. You must be with friends you love – even if you're too busy. And if you don't know what you love, you must begin discovering your heart now.
I know it's hard. I'm not naive to the fact that you need to pay your mortgage, you have to have childcare, and you are tired. I'm not callous to the very real feelings of fear and shame and doubt. I have lived with them from the very first day of work after college and I still live with them every day 20 years later. Every single day I am afraid. Every single day I doubt myself. And every single day I battle through it so that I get to do what I love. Literally at the end of every day my eyes swell with tears of gratitude and humility that I get to empower you for a living.
Here are pics of me doing what I love:
Teaching Positive Psych, Hosting Retreats and, Enjoying a Farmers Market
I love what I do and I'm not special. I made it happen and so can you. The more you do what you love, the more energy you'll have. The more you say YES to your heart, the more confident you'll feel. And the more you allow yourself to live fully, the more alive you will feel.
So, start small with these exercises:
-Make a private Pinterest board of things/pics YOU love to do.
-Make a list of 3 people you love to be with and make a date on your calendar with them now.
-Ask yourself what is one skill or fun hobby you've been interested in. Find a class in it and start this month.
-Be honest with yourself about a dream you have and take one small step toward it.
And if you don't know what you love, or you need help making it a reality, contact me or another coach to get support. This is how to make sure that you don't live for vacations, but that you live happier every day!
With so much love,
Carin
PS – In case you missed the rest of the series, 5 Keys to Happiness, read them here. Key #1 was LIVE FREEDOM (read it here), Key #2: SAVOR (read it here), Key #3: CHERISH the people you love (read it here), and Key #4 was RIDE the ups and downs (read it here).
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I am SO thrilled to announce the following events for you to do more of what you love:
Join me in Sonoma for SoulSpark: If you want to ignite your soul and create your path forward, join me for Soul Spark in Sonoma, a Goddess Girls Retreat! Imagine 4 days and 3 nights of luxury in wine country with a pool, jacuzzi and Goddess awakening exercises to finally uncover your heart's desires and embrace them. Only 3 spots left! Join me for this exclusive opportunity!
Get Certified in The Science of Happiness – Positive Psychology (CAPP): If you're a change agent who wants to expand your ability to make a difference in the world, join me for the Certificate in Applied Positive Psychology (CAPP) in Miami this Fall! We'll spend 7 weekends together throughout 6 months so you can escape the cold, and learn the science of happiness and human flourishing. This is perfect for educators, HR professionals, therapists, coaches, parents, and anyone wanting to improve the world. Click here for information and to join!
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