How I Found Happiness That Lasts

I think it is fair to say that everyone on Earth wants to be Happy. Just how many of us are truly there? Have you defined your version of Happiness? Have you thought how you will live your life once you have found it? Is it accessible at all or are we chasing a dream?

My relationship with the concept of happiness has been complex, just as anyone’s I imagine. I come from a poor background. Born in Soviet Russia, I spent my early childhood years in a communal flat - that’s a flat which accommodates several families at once. When I was 10 my parents got divorced and my mother moved us to Denmark where we lived in a poor neighbourhood and I spent most of my time in the streets. For long, I was convinced that money was the key to happiness until 10 years ago I was hired as an Executive Assistant to a very rich person, someone who qualifies as an ultra-high-net-worth individual. Most probably, Life just wanted to teach me a Lesson. I have acquired an in-depth insight into the lifestyle of the world’s richest and trust me, money alone does not bring a long-lasting happiness. 

Held back by the legacy of my poor childhood, I often forced myself into thinking happy. Surrounded by luxuries, I reminded myself that I was living my dream. And yet, happiness remained a momentary and elusive thing. Often, in order to relax I would take a walk in the woods of Surrey and inhale the scent of pine trees and grass. Connecting with nature I felt complete. And happy. Moments later, exposed to the calamities of a working day of an Executive Assistant, I would feel stressed again. 

After a major burnout in 2015 I started looking for happiness that lasted. A walk in the woods was simply not enough. I couldn’t leave my job as an EA because it had become my life and I truly loved it. But I needed to find ways to deal with the enormous amount of stress it caused. He who looks, finds. I got inspired by the wisdom of the ancient Toltecs and Tibetan monks, and invented a breathing technique which helped me, quite literally, to stay alive. It has helped me to find peace in a moment, to experience time, and to tame happiness. This technique is now accessible through my free mobile app Formula.Life to anyone who is in urgent need to clear up their mind, power up quickly, and stay sane in our hyper demanding world.

Also, for starters, I recommend reading ‘Switch on your brain’ by Dr. Caroline Leaf, a cognitive neuroscientist who studies the Mind-Brain connection.