Mastering Happiness: The Art of Cultivating Joy
I’m a planner. I’m a manifester. I make the plan, work the plan, and succeed most of the time. Obviously, I’ve dealt with setbacks and…
I’m a planner. I’m a manifester. I make the plan, work the plan, and succeed most of the time. Obviously, I’ve dealt with setbacks and blown-up timelines. However, the planning eases my anxiety. It also provides events and experiences in my life to look forward to.
I’m turning 40 this year and have decided to enter this new season of life, the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been. To achieve this, I’ve started planning…trips, wellness retreats, family outings, brunches, spa weekends, etc. — All things that make me happy and advance my goal to enter 40 as a badass.
I eagerly shared my plans with a close friend. I excitedly told her all the wonderful things I’ve penciled in for this year. She is not a planner. She is not a manifester and making the plan and working the plan doesn’t align with her habits.
How I see it…if you choose (plan) the experiences that make you happy alongside those who breathe energy into you, you’ll have a happier existence.
She asked me if I had spoken to my therapist about all of the things I had planned. Rather than encouraging, she was almost insulting. This may have come from true concern about me overcommitting but more likely from a deficit in her life. (And yes, I did speak to my therapist, and she approved.)
I replied to her with a quote that I’ve been meditating on for the last several months.
“Happiness is a skill, not a circumstance–practice it, don’t wait for it.”
For me, gratitude is supreme. Sure, journaling and meditation have helped me develop a healthy gratitude practice. But there is a higher sense of gratitude when I’m truly enjoying the activities, I’ve planned for myself, when I’m present in the moment.
I’m grateful that my friend questioned my intentions. It allowed me to double down on a belief I know to be true. Happiness isn’t something that happens to me; it’s something I can cultivate through deliberate practice and consistent effort.
Join my mailing list and catch up with me at www.shaunteyoung.com and follow me on Instagram.