đ The Happiness Paradox
đ The Happiness Paradox
We know what makes us happyâso why donât we do it?
Iâve been sitting with this a lot lately.
Almost every client I work with wants the same thing at their core:
To feel alive. At peace. Fulfilled.
In other wordsâhappy.
But hereâs the paradoxâŚ
We already know what brings us happiness.
Being in nature. Moving our bodies. Deep connection. Time with loved ones. Doing meaningful work.
Yet⌠we often donât do it.
A few years ago, I was running global brands, always âonâ, flying first class⌠and secretly miserable.
I was chasing happiness at the end of every goalpostâ
thinking more success, more money, more recognition would eventually deliver it.
But it didnât.
What changed everything?
I stopped postponing happiness.
Instead of waiting for the âperfectâ moment, I started creating small, intentional ones.
Moments of presence. Joy. Adventure. Stillness.
đĄ What Iâve Learned:
We donât have a knowing problemâwe have a doing problem.
We tell ourselves weâll rest âonce things calm down.â
Weâll reconnect with joy âafter this next launch / quarter / project.â
But if weâre not careful, life becomes one long delay.
I see it in clients tooâdriven, high-achieving, brilliant people whoâve lost touch with what they actually want.
Because theyâre living in service of a future that never arrives.
So what do we do?
Hereâs what I come back to again and again (and what I encourage my clients to explore):
â Presence over productivity
Turn off the noise. Be with your partner, your kids, your thoughtsâfully.
â Book joy like a meeting
Ice baths, wild swims, hikes, hammocks⌠I schedule them in. Otherwise, they donât happen.
â Get honest about your WHY
Is your current pace of life aligned with your valuesâor is it just habit?
â Start ridiculously small
You donât need to overhaul your life. Just shift your attention. A walk. A breath. A moment.
â Celebrate the ordinary
A good coffee. A deep laugh. A quiet moment in the garden. This is it.
đ What truly anchors me now?
Gratitude and compassion.
Theyâve become daily practices, not just nice ideas.
Gratitude reminds me thereâs already so much to be thankful for.
Compassion helps me soften when I fall shortâand show up for others more fully.
When I look back, the moments that stand out arenât the milestones.
Theyâre the messy, magical, ordinary ones I almost missed.
One of the top regrets of the dying is âI wish Iâd let myself be happier.â
Not richer.
Not more impressive.
Just⌠happier.
So donât wait.
Choose happiness. Choose simplicity. Choose now.
Reading Recommendation đ
The Art Of Happiness by The Dalai Lama.
Reading this book was a massive turning point for me
.
In it he essentially says, if I told you could have all the success, money, love, chocolate, whatever, in the world but it would make you unhappy, you wouldnât want it because what youâre actually looking for is happiness.
That simple but profound realisation was a game changer for me.
The question you have to ask yourself is:
Will it give me pleasure or will it make me happy? Pleasure is fleeting but happiness is a foundational state you cultivate.
Let me knowâwhat small moment brought you joy this week?