Happiness Decoded:)

"Live life as everything is rigged in your favor" ~ Rumi

Delighted to have concluded yet another batch on 'Positive Psychology and Resilience in Coaching' with our bright set of participants that included accomplished leaders from various walks of life.

Thrilled with numerous self-discovery moments, the topic in one of the sessions was "Happiness"!

The discussion got kicked off with an inquiry from my end.

'How do we want our day to be'?

The most common answer that popped up was 'a good day.'

'How do we want our tomorrow to be and the day after?'

'Good, Great, and even better..' were the responses that I received.

What makes your day a good day?

What emerged can be seen in the word cloud here:

The curious coach in me asked yet another question, what are we going to get by the end of a good day?

The answer came loud and clear, 'HAPPINESS'! And with that, I rest my c… well, not yet!

The invitation was on the table for all to reflect. What is happiness? We cracked it yet again!

It's a state of being. So, what does happiness depend upon?

Some answers on the chat window read: 'situations, occurrences, wider system, how am I treated, people around me, external and internal factors.

Let's take a fairly simple case scenario.

Alex offers a compliment to Mike, and a big smile shows up on Mike's face, eyes lit up with joy. In the very next moment, Chris walks in with his cup of coffee and shares with Mike, 'Alex is just being sarcastic and means just the opposite.'

In a fraction of a second, Mike's bubble of joy broke.

Everything is the same, Alex, Mike, Mike's work. What shifted?

Well, just the new 'Perspective' offered by Chris.

So, now we know 'P' is the key that brings a paradigm shift in our state of being.

What's the good news here?

The fact that my 'P' is in my control. I can choose to choose my perspective over other available perspectives.

A sigh! We finally rested the case.

"Our mind is a powerful instrument. We can make it work as per our wish".

Want to know how?

Here is a Quick tool to practice whenever dealing with an adverse situation:

Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out. Relax your scalp, your forehead, eyes, neck, shoulders, upper body, lower body, releasing all the tension. Relax!

Step into the shoes of a curious kid age 3 or 4 and imagine all of these emotions (joy, anger, sadness, anxiety, surprise, and others) taking the shape of different planets.

Look around in wonder and ask yourself which planet I have landed? How does it feel to be here? Am I enjoying my visit? If not, where do I choose to be instead?

Most likely, the planet 'Joy'? How would I feel once I'm there?

How about hopping in there to see?

Breathing into your heart and out through your heart, think of one pleasant thing that you cherished as a kid, that brought a smile on your face. Now allow yourself some time to think of one gift that you are grateful for in this whole universe in this current moment. I invite you to offer gratitude to the universe. Breathe into your heart, out through your heart. Get present with the vibration of gratitude, peace, and joy in every cell of your body. Stay with it for some time. Feel the shift in your physiology.

Now slowly coming back, I invite you to see this situation with a fresh lens.

Here is my recent planet excursion :

Followed by loss of taste/ smell and acute pain in the chest, I drove down to the Fortis emergency and got myself tested. Well, I knew to an extent but the report revalidated I finally have encountered Mr. Corona. My subconscious fear got manifested.

Feeling disappointed, exhausted, and sick, not being able to taste the food I was eating. Nevertheless, I finished my meal and gulped the prescribed meds down my throat. I shut the lights off and closed my eyes. With a deep inhale, I resorted to my game of 'planet-hopping.' A 3-year-old curious Pooja in me looked around to figure where did she land? What made her land here? What could pave her way to planet Joy?

The answer came rolling as I heard her whisper, 'Perhaps you needed mini-vacation to recuperate this lovely soul and body, didn't you?' How about taking some much-needed rest and time out with yourself?' In no time, I found myself transcended to the planet Joy.

For the first two days, I slept like a baby allowing my body to get comfortable with the bit of discomfort, helping me realize how vital each cell of our body is.

Learning the lessons I needed. On day three, I could find my sense of smell and taste getting restored.

I was able to relish the yummy cheesecake loaded with good wishes, although Dr google says it usually takes about a month or above for it to return:) feeling lucky and happy, I stretched my arms wide with joy, thanking the universe once again.

Grateful for all of your wishes, prayers that added colors to my visit on this planet.

Wishing you all a joyful planet-hopping!

Would love to hear about what shifted your "P"?

Be safe, be happy:)

~ PD