How to be Fearless, Full of Possibility, Strong & Capable of More
Think about the last time you felt over-the-top happy? How did it make you feel; Fearless, full of possibility, strong, and capable. Dare I say ****ing Awesome? We all know that feeling of euphoria where the sky is the limit right? And it is great when we are in it, and not so great when we are not.
So, what if you could be happier more often? Wouldn’t you want to learn how? My theory is happiness is a muscle and like other muscles the more you flex them the stronger and more capable they become. Simply put, flexing your happiness muscle is a surefire approach to improving the quality of your life, in every aspect.
25 years ago, I had an “AHA” moment in which life taught me the most important lesson I would ever learn. Happiness is a choice and our individual responsibility. My mother Sue Kahn died incredibly young. When she was in her 50s, she had a brain tumor the size of a grapefruit. Ultimately the grapefruit had to come out and as a result, my mother had to learn how to walk and talk all over again which was a painful 2-year process.
As soon as she learned how to walk and talk all over again, she discovered she had pancreatic cancer. She fought a good battle but eventually, the disease took over. Soon after we put her in Hospice. I can remember visiting her in the hospital and how depressed & despondent she was - every single day.
Then one day I walked into the hospital room, and everything was different. The boombox was turned on. She was sitting up in bed doing the finger dance, smiling and full of life. What a huge difference from what I had been experiencing. So, I asked what changed? She said to me I just had the biggest a-ha moment of my life. I realized that I have limited days on earth, and I want to live them to the fullest. I am going to choose to be happy. Happiness is my responsibility.
I often thought about how that lesson changed my life. Later in life, I started to research the art and the science of happiness and learned there are multiple advantages to happiness beyond the obvious. According to a large amount of research happy people:
- Live longer and are less likely to get sick.
- Have more friends and stronger relationships.
- Are better able to handle stress and life’s challenges.
- Have more successful careers and make more money.
So, if there are things you can do to learn more about how to flex your happiness muscle don’t you want to do that? Stay tuned.
ABOUT PEGGY
Peggy Sullivan is a women’s leadership speaker, mindset expert, and founder of the nonprofit organization, SheCAN!. She is also the author of the book, "Happiness is Your Responsibility". Peggy is a strong advocate of empowering women to succeed through supporting each other. She has won numerous awards and honors, including the 2019 Woman in Leadership Award from New York State. She has presented and consulted worldwide for organizations such as Bank of America, Blue Cross BlueShield, Ingram Micro, and WomanUp Conferences. You can connect with Peggy on Instagram and LinkedIn, and purchase “Happiness is Your Responsibility” in Fall 2021 on Peggy’s website.