5 Simple Steps to a Happier World

Please note that this blog post does not mention politics, political opinions, etc. You're in a place of escape, a place to be happy for a little moment...

Ahh, human beings’ quest for happiness is a deep one. From the thousands of books on self-healing to hearing that mental illness is one of the world’s biggest killers, it’s no wonder the science of happiness fascinates us. In times of despair, fear and feeling hopeless, it sometimes seems we can only dream of living in a happy world. So what makes a happier world? Love. It’s as simple as that, right?!

 Love songs. You either sing along to them because they’re catchy, you hate them, or you sing along to them and feel as if they’ve written the song about you. It’s only in times of real dramatic love experiences that you really feel the later one. I’ve been caught up in the world of crazy, stupid, love recently, and now more than ever I can understand why people write songs about love. “Ohhhh, I get it now.” Call me naive, because well, I can be sometimes. Love can be confusing, it can put you in the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I want to share with you the love I have other than for my husband, and that’s my love for everyone. Yes, welcome to Milly’s cheesy hippy blog post about love and a happier world.

 One love! The famous words from Bob Marley. These lyrics and this song have only started to speak to me until recently. Isn’t it funny how well you can know some songs, but you’re singing along to a song without really paying attention to the meaning? Without really contemplating on why the music was created? Let’s just take a moment here to contemplate some of the “One Love” lyrics. Do you remember the question Bob asks? “Is there a place for the hopeless sinner, who has hurt all mankind just to save his own beliefs?” There is no such thing as someone who is hopeless. There is always a chance for a new beginning. Sometimes this means going back and finding a moment in your life where you felt pure, even if this means the moment you were born. “Re-birth” may sound like bullshit to some not so holistic, but it can be possible if you detach yourself from the things in your life that have lead you to feel that way. Just google “how to be re-born”, and you’ll find something that speaks to you. Whether it be diving deep into meditation, going on a spiritual journey, a pilgrimage, following a new religion, or consuming a sacred plant. Whatever works for you. Just know that you can heal, and that forgiveness is available to anyone who works hard in changing their ways. This is step one to a happier world… you.

 Bob talks about giving thanks; expressing your gratitude. We all have something to be grateful, even during times you feel like life has fallen apart, that you’ve lost everything, or that there is no way out. Be grateful for your life. It’s still there. Be grateful for those around you striving to make the world a better place. Have hope that everything will be ok. Learn from your life lessons, and share them with others. You can find the strength to heal yourself, you can find the courage within to take that baby step forward. Give it a try, it may scare the shit out of you, but one step forward on the right path is one step closer to your happiness and a happier world.

 I experienced the love at the first ever Happier World Conference led by mindfulness guru and all around fabulous being, Shamash Alidina. It was held in London, a city I once thought was a cold, gloomy, capitalist place with close minded people. My perspective has changed BIG time this year now that I’ve met so many incredible communities and people all as happy as can be, all interconnected to boost the happiness and wellbeing in one of the world’s largest cities. I loved this conference, I mean really loved it (sorry, there’s the ‘L’ word again). 150 people together sharing one dream, a happy world.

When was the last time you attended a conference, where at the end everyone in the room wrote a song about a happy world and got together for one massive group hug?

Anyone from the “real world” would think we were high on drugs or something! Well, in fact, we were. Our oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphin chemicals were in full flight! When there are 150 talking about what makes them happy and sharing what they’re doing to contribute to a happier world, you can only imagine the level of a natural high we were all feeling.

 In a nutshell, here’s how to create a happier world:

1. First, find the happiness within YOU. Find the peace within! You can always start by reading Shamash’s book “Mindfulness for Dummies”. Make the most of moments, whether it be small or big. Janne Willems shared her story behind her wonderful postcard project “Seize Your Moments.” Love your body. Valuable lesson by Ruth Rogers from “Body Gossip”.
2. Get involved within your community. One of the highlights was listening to Sanderson Jones from Sunday Assembly talking about the “Road to Lifefulness” and the importances of involving yourself with the community that you live in. Mark Williamson’s shared the goal behind Action for Happiness, the organization that even the Dalai Lama supports. There could be one of these communities in your city and I highly recommend you join one, or even start your own. If you’re in London and need to boost your happiness levels, check out the world’s first Museum of Happiness, co-founded by Shamash and Victoria Johnson. I’m telling you, a laughter yoga class can really do wonders! On the morning of the US election, I found myself celebrating life and dancing at London's Morning Glory Ville. The sober dance rave that's spreading like wildfire around the world. It's an evolution, all about connectivity and love amongst strangers in your community. 
3. Appreciate nature! It’s far greater than we could ever imagine. Matthew Oates from the National Trust shared how some of our greatest epiphanies are found whilst we are amongst nature. It’s true, I’ve experienced it countless times. Basically, the more you love it, the more it’ll reward you.
4. Rethink business! Nipun Metha from ServiceSpace, known for his TEDx talk on “Designing for Generosity”, talked about how money is not the only form of capital when it comes to a successful company. There are multiple forms that contribute to the impact: knowledge, time, community, compassion, nature, community, attention, technology and culture. If your business isn’t thinking happy thoughts, then you need to go to The Happy Startup School! We visited the founders of HSS in Brighton, England's happiest city. Their mindset rocks!
5. Be aware and take action! Naveen Rabelli couldn’t bare the dangerous levels of air pollution in India. His solution to cleaner air? Solar powered tuk tuks. He shared his inspiring journey with us. Once you start to be more aware of yourself and the world around you, it’s easy to find ways to take action. Needing some social media inspiration? You can always find it on the Boomcast app!

What’s next? How do we spread this love and happiness to the “real world”? How can we change the way people do business? How can we spread more kindness? How can we love ourselves to love the world? I believe most of us are doing it already, and that gives me so much hope for the future. Our mindsets are slowly changing. Do you know, I used to get such a buzz when someone would ask me where I’m from. I’d proudly say “Adelaide, Australia, but I live in The Hague, The Netherlands’ International City of Peace, and spend a lot of time in San Francisco.” But now? I’m over it! I just want to say, “Planet Earth. Just like you!” It doesn’t matter where you’re from, where you live, at the end of the day, we’re all human beings, all on our own journey of life. We’ve all faced problems, we learn every day about how to live and grow. We’re learning how to be happy, mindful, grateful, how to love, how to be authentic and honest to our feelings. We’re learning how to be kind and we’re learning how to heal ourselves. Because once we learn these fundamentals of life, we can then heal the world and achieve our global goals. Heal yourself, to heal the world. It’s that simple. Know that you matter, know that your problems are no smaller or bigger than your neighbors. Think about the world’s problems as a whole and what is the missing link? That deep connection from human to human. No matter where you are in the world, no matter your race, religion or political beliefs. We’re all human, so it’s about bloody time we all love one another.

One love. One Planet Earth. So, let's get together and we’ll feel alllllright.

Cheers to peace and good vibes!

Milly