How to find Happiness for Free

I recently noticed perceptions of ourselves make us feel hollow.

This state of ego drives us to feel like we are working in the right direction to satisfy our happiness."If we're fitting in with people who like us, we aren't as bad as 'those guys'".

School does a terrible job of setting up the precursor for labels.

• Bad grades - not smart enough

• Lack of friends - not cool enough

• Cheap clothes - not attractive enough

When we repeat these thoughts in our head, we tell ourselves a story in our head of who we are.

I am "not smart enough" because my grades are not as good as someone else's.

This is detrimental to our overall happiness because the identity of being insufficient echoes through everything we do.Now I'm not smart enough to do anything who has a 3.0 or higher

From Depression to Fulfillment

I graduated High School with a 2.0 GPA and the minimum credit requirement. I had a self-deprecating personality for the longest time. I let other people determine that fate for me.

Now I'm editing a former blog to help people shape their perspective into a positive one. First I had to go through a lifetime of traumas(micro and macro) before I could reach this point.

The suffering I endured on the way here is not something I'd like to relive.

We've all had challenges that pushed us too far. Wanting to turn back time? Who hasn't wished they could do that?

Rock bottom is a dark place. For me, it was about survival.Pain is relative to the beholder and I had enough.

Repeating “It will be ok” in my head, is where I started over a year ago after being on different anti-anxiety medication, seeing a therapist, and starting to read a book.

“Badass Ways to End Anxiety and Stop Panic Attacks” was the first of many I read to help me understand why I saw the world as I did.

Regaining my purpose took a year of changing my habits.

• Going back to the gym

• Making progress in my life

• Reading books on psychology

• Doing work that I found meaningful

Most of us, if not someone close to us, see a world full of fear, shame, and regret.

We have no idea the story someone is living because we only see them for a fraction of the time they live.

Looking back over my tragedies(from an outside perspective) I can see where blame lies.

Practices to improve your perspective daily

Knowledge of how to cope with your life's negatives lies inside your mind. It gets unlocked in 3 ways that I found.

• Reading

• Writing

• Seeking discomfort

When conflicted we make a choice to react or respond.

• Conscious - respond

• Unconscious - react

Your map for dealing with problems will determine if you're seeking answers or validation.

Answers will lead to freedom.Validation leads to more problems to be validated.

Making a conscious choice to do something you don't believe in sets you on the right path.

Reading was not a choice for me. I needed help, bad.Writing was my choice, inspired by leaders who made life theirs to live.Seeking discomfort came later on when I decided to practice what I'd read in self-help books.

Stepping outside my boundaries of comfortability was not something I would have thought was going to better my life. When someone recommends a diet, workout, or book that you don't agree with it seems aversive to you.

A doctor tries to fix you by giving you medication, but if you don’t take it, how can you expect to get better?

We trust doctors because of the authority they hold from working 8 years for a degree worth over 100k. Why is it that?They have authority of time invested, reputation from repeated success, popularization from television.

99% of people in your life (before taking matters into you own hands) will tell you to trust a doctor without question.When I saw a therapist, I was still anxious.When I took my health into my own hands, I found relief.

Life is not about taking direction, it’s about acting as the person you want to be.

Change is up to you

You know what's not going right for you. A short list of potential issues:

• Mindset• Financial• Physical health• Relationship• Environment

Taking action in one of these areas will lead to solutions to all of them eventually. Once you start, the snowball effect will lead you to 2 paths.

1. Coaching

2. Self-improvement

Struggle is where growth occurs.

The end of Newsletter #1

As I learn more about how to write and what to focus my writing on, this rule comes to mind.Rule 7: Do what is meaningful(not what is expedient)

I will continue to sharpen the delivery of my message. My hope is to help at least 1 person in need.

Thank you for reading!