How To Be A Catalyst For Happiness

Did you know that when you’re happier, you’re more creative? It’s true!

When you are happy, you are open, you are relaxed, you are in flow. Your brain is online and engaged. You’re in the sweet spot for creativity.

Conversely, when you are low and under stress, your fight or flight response is active. This causes the amygdala (the part of your brain responsible for your emotions, survival instincts, and memory) to shut down brain operation in preparation for survival.

As you can imagine, this is not the optimal environment for creative thinking.

Happiness isn’t just a catalyst for creativity, though. It connects you to yourself and your intuition, which influences you to take inspired action in every aspect of your life.

If you have chosen happiness, it will propel your business forward. Taking inspired action means you’ll have more to offer your clients, you’ll feel empowered to speak on stage, you’ll write your book, you’ll enthusiastically share your message with the world.

If you have chosen happiness, you will feel inspired to plan a romantic night with your partner. You’ll be focusing on spending time together and connecting.

I don’t need to describe what happens in your business or your relationship when you don’t choose happiness, as each of us have experienced this at some point.

If you like the sound of being happy, creative, connected, and inspired, remember that YOU can be the catalyst for happiness in your life and for the people around you.

We’ve all been in situations where the energy is unmistakably negative. You know what I mean, when someone walks into a meeting and it feels like the air has been sucked out of the room and replaced with a palpable heaviness. Conversely, there are people who walk into a meeting and immediately you feel better. You experience the shift, you feel inspired and lighter. Which person would you prefer to be?

You can choose to be a catalyst for happiness anytime you like. We’ll dive deeper into how you can do that, but first, we need to address an objection you might have.

This Isn’t About Being “Fake Happy”

I know what you’re thinking: “We can’t always feel happy; that’s not realistic.” You’re completely correct. That is not the goal here. We’re humans, and we all have human experiences that lead to a range of feelings and emotions, each of which is a gift.

This is not about being told to think positively or being a fake-happy version of yourself. That’s not authentic. This is not about rainbows, unicorns, and sprinkling glitter.

Shit happens, and when it happens, you absolutely recognize and honor what you’re feeling, but you don’t stay there. You don’t choose to live there. You choose to engage in and evaluate what has happened, determining if something needs to be healed, deciding if it gets any fucks, and then surrender back into your happiness.

A Fast Track Choice to Happiness

What I’m talking about is being able to let go of your inherent seriousness, of all your self-inflicted pressure and intensity. I promise you, it won’t kill you to lighten up.

The only thing you need to take seriously is how serious I am about becoming not-so-serious. This one change will instantly take you to a state of happiness.

When you live in intensity, pressure, and seriousness, you are promoting chronic stress in your system. You are congesting your mind and creating overwhelm. You cannot access your creativity with ease, and you are far more likely to be triggered, angry, and frustrated on the regular. Seriousness keeps you stuck and unhappy.

Playfulness, on the other hand, is non-negotiable when it comes to choosing happiness and LIVING your life. What can you choose throughout your day to feel light and silly? You know, the things you did so easily as a child, before you started giving a shit what people thought of you and believing you needed to be serious to be an adult.

It’s Time to Be More Playful—Right Now!

Choose one of these things and do it now. I don’t care if you’re reading this on a train, if you’re in a café, or if you’re home alone. Don’t worry about looking silly!

• Dance like no one is watching: shimmy, baby, shimmy.
• Sing the chorus of your favorite song.
• Go outside and sprint or skip up the road like you did when you were a kid.
• Tell your favorite joke, even if it is to yourself.
• Laugh out loud, an unadulterated, pure belly laugh.

I’m known to randomly do impressions of a monkey when I need to infuse a little levity. I do a killer monkey face and have a range of monkey sounds to go with it. It’s genius.

Can you say you’re having enough fun and enjoyment in your life? This is something you need to infuse into every day. Here’s the sentiment I shared at my fortieth birthday, and I remember it every day: “It’s time to lighten up, to take everything less seriously. It’s only life after all, and no one’s getting out alive, so calm the fuck down.”

For more advice on being a catalyst for happiness, you can find my book Worthy Human on Amazon.