Let's talk about happiness (and money)
Maneki-Neko (beckoning cat): a Japanese symbol thought to bring good fortune to its owner
It's not uncommon to think, "If I just had more money, then the things that make me unhappy would disappear." And though it’s true that money can make life more comfortable, it’s not the answer to these deeper calls for happiness, joy, meaning, and fulfillment.
Absolutely, it’s a piece of a grander puzzle and can create a lot more ease and security, but…
the answer to your questions about happiness can only be found in a much deeper well.
Let’s explore…
One thing that has radically shifted not only my ‘happiness’ reality, but also my financial reality is asking better, more meaningful questions.
Like a google search, the brain will supply you with results when you ask it a question. The kind of results you get depends on the kind of questions you ask.
For example…
“Why am I always struggling with money?” or "Why is money so complicated?" will ensure that you find the answer…and consequently, more struggle and complication.
However, asking “When was the last time I experienced joy and how could I use this wisdom to create more wealth in my life?” will clearly guide you down a very different path than the question above.
Creating wealth is not just a strategy game, it's an energy game…
Money is an energy and if you know anything about energy, you know the art of manipulating it is an inside game, just as much as an outside game.
It’s not just about strategy and planning (spending less, saving more, investing, etc.), it’s also about your beliefs, your values, your patterns, and how this is creating either resonance or dissonance in your life. As the saying goes, the best work comes from the inside, out. So you gotta start by mining your soul before you start mining your pockets (so to speak).
The truth is…
There are two kinds of people with money: happy ones and unhappy ones. So clearly money is not the answer to happiness, but it's also not the enemy of it.
I read a story once about Oprah. It was 2001 where she boldly shared a vulnerable truth on her show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. She was asked by her trainer, “when was the last time you experienced joy?” She thought about it and realized it had been more than seven years! Oprah - A highly successful, rich, famous, change-making, adored woman had not experienced joy in over seven years.
She said this question made her reflect for days and what she discovered was the last time she experienced true consistent joy was during the filming of The Color Purple. The making of that film was deeply meaningful to her. Ultimately, through her own process of mining gold from her soul, she made some changes in her life and career which catapulted her show from 'just a talk show', what she called the ‘yak yak yak’ genre, to a game-changing, giving back show that helps thousands of people create better, more meaningful lives. That’s where Joy led her and it also happened to take her sense of purpose, influence, and comfort to a whole new level along the way.
So let’s mine some soul gold!
Schedule in just ten minutes this week to answer these three questions:
When was the last time you experienced joy?
What about that experience was joyful for you?
How can I bring more of that into my daily life and work in the world? Remember to get specific: What are 1-3 actions you can take within the next week to feel more joy, happiness, and meaning in your daily life?
The power found in your willingness to dig deeper, to mine beyond the obvious, will bring you riches beyond your wildest dreams and open the flood gates of consciously directed energy towards you (this can show up as more money, creativity, time, vitality, and so forth. Energy is energy, so when we clear one aspect in our life it often leads to a clearing in other areas).
If you’re looking for a deeper dive into mining the gold out of your soul, I encourage you to join us this Sunday (March 21st) for Soul FULL Creation Camp: An at-home virtual retreat to fill your soul's cup.
We will be exploring practices to help strip away mental clutter and bring you back in full connection with yourself. You'll leave on a natural high with a sense of freedom, focus, energy, calmness, joy...and maybe even a new sense of self.
"That experience was emotional, meaningful, silly - it was as if I was looking over a cliff and seeing a whole new world of possibility." - D.R.M. student
Investment: $111 (if you’re on my mailing list you’ll receive 25% off and if you’re part of RITUAL, you’ll receive 50% off).
Investment also includes access to RITUAL for our livestream, March 24th RITUAL (5-7pm PST). We will be doing a somatic breathwork healing experience.
Go HERE to join Soul FULL Creation Camp
GO HERE to join my mailing list to get 25% off the March 21st retreat, plus you’ll receive another gift, Radical Presence: 6 rituals you can effortlessly weave into your world to create space and deepen trust in your body, mind, and life.
Thank you for all that you do and be,
PS. I'd love to know what you discovered from reading this article...share below.