What it takes to be happy.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
🔗 Connecting happiness, courage and clarity.
💥 Not one, but TWO free opportunities to learn how to connect all three.
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE HAPPY
I watched the film Maggie Moore(s) whilst on a long flight a couple of months ago. (In case you are wondering, it got very mixed reviews, but I quite enjoyed it. 🤷♀️) In any case, it’s a dark comedy mystery with a lot of twists and its fair share of action, but it was one almost missable line in a quiet, conversational scene that has stuck with me ever since.
Tina Fey’s character - who is fresh off a divorce and wrestling with loneliness says, “I’m finding it takes courage to be happy.”
No more than 20 seconds later in the scene, the conversation shifts to focus on the murder mystery at hand, yet that line wormed it’s way into my brain and has stayed there ever since. In fact, the other day, I heard myself sharing the line with a particularly brave friend and in doing so, I realised I’d been thinking about it a LOT, and for a while.
I wondered, why did that line resonate with me so deeply? What is it about the connection between courage and happiness that feels so TRUE for me?
And I realised: Hands down, my bravest decisions are the ones that have brought me the most joy.
Leaving a job and my home to travel the world.
Going all-in on a relationship that didn’t make sense on paper.
Leaving another job - one I’d come to equate with my very identity - for an unknown career path.
Becoming a leadership coach.
Deciding to pursue a major adventure with my family.
In each of these cases, there were scary decisions to be made, complicated risks to be mitigated, hard first steps to be taken. Each time, it felt sticky, arduous, even terrifying. So why did I bother? Why did I do the hard thing in these cases? In other words, if happiness requires courage, what makes courage possible?
I won’t pretend to have the answer for everyone on this big question. But I can tell you what is true for me. In each of the cases above, I was able to get really (really) clear on what it was that I truly wanted most. Not what anyone else might want for me or expect of me. Not what I wanted 10 years earlier. Rather, what it was that I MOST wanted to be experiencing in this life of mine, at this point.
Once I had that clarity, I had the power to move through the stickiness. And conversely, I can reflect back on many situations where I didn’t have a strong connection with what it was that I truly wanted most. And in most of those cases, I made a less courageous choice. To be clear, those choices were valid and also led me to exactly where I am today, which is a pretty happy place. And, as I look back at all the decisions I’ve made so far, they weren’t the ones that brought me the most joy.
What I’m unpacking here (for myself as much as for you, dear reader!) is that when I’m stuck - in a situation that feels frustrating or uninspiring or maybe in a mindset that isn’t letting me shine - my go-to question has become:
How clear am I on what it is that I truly want?
This question tends to do one of two things:
It either reminds me of what’s most important to me, and from there I can usually figure out my very next step, OR
It shines a light on the fact that the problem isn’t that I’m not sure what to do next. The issue at hand is that I’m not clear on what I’m doing it for. It shows me where I can FIRST focus my curiosity for greatest impact.
BONUS CONTENT
I’m hosting a FREE MASTERCLASS on April 16th & 17th. And you guessed it, the very first thing we are going to cover is how to gain clarity on what it is you truly want! Click the button below to sign up for this power-hour of clarity and momentum.
WORK WITH ME
I partner 1-to-1 with high-performing female leaders to hone their authentic leadership style and write the next bold chapter of work and life. If you are curious about what a coaching partnership with me could look like, get in touch and we’ll have a chat. We’ll either conclude that we are a good fit, or I’ll share some resources/ideas of where you might find the support you need.
🌟FREE Networking/Leadership Development Opportunity🌟
This is specifcially for Moms/Mums aspiring to be people leaders. I’ll be hosting this group coaching/networking circle, sponsored by Liftery, starting on April 23rd and there are still a few spaces available. Click the button below to learn more and/or join the Circle! (Or hit reply and LMK any questions!)
In all curiousness,
Joy
P.S. If/when the spirit ever moves you or you have questions - always feel free to get in touch and let me know what’s coming up for you!
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