Five years ago, I was encouraged to get into the podcast space. The obvious topic was what I had trained on for the past 25 years - direct sales success. But I wanted to reach a broader audience and make a positive impact on more people.
At that time, “happiness” was becoming a strong movement. In its infancy, the ‘happiness’ movement looked at work as only a small piece to the puzzle.
When I looked at it, it struck me that we spend more hours at work than almost anywhere else! That was an aha moment for me, and the topic of my podcast was realized.
One year later, I hosted my first podcast. 267 episodes later, Work From Your Happy Place has found success.
I have interviewed so many entrepreneurs from so many different walks of life, but the greatest benefit has been how much I have learned from the guests on my podcast, and that constantly re-energizes me! All of the energy I have put into the podcast, I have gotten back ten-fold!
My goal has always been to help show the struggle, the journey, the road that you don’t see when it comes to success. Too often, we only see the end result - you see what you see - and that can be so misleading if you are wanting to discover your own success.
My podcast has been a reminder for me that you cannot be the one who is always ‘feeding;’ you sometimes need to be fed. Getting inspired by other people’s stories is a great way to do that.
While some things have changed over the past few years, one thing has not. I have asked one question, exactly the same way, to every guest I have ever interviewed on my podcast. That question is, “What does working from your happy place mean to you?”
When I first started the show, I asked this question with the George Burns observation in mind that, ‘if you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life.’
But the responses to this question, a question I initially thought was pretty straight forward, surprised me. Sometimes, it astonished me.
Upon asking it, almost everyone pauses, thinks for a moment, and then most say, “Wow, that's a tough question” or “I’ve never really thought about it before.”
After observing so many people not really knowing how to answer this question, I realized the word that often trips people up is “happy.”
We have a strange relationship with the word “happy” in our society. Many people think that ‘happy’ is something out in the future that you can strive for, as in “I’ll be happy when….” But that’s not where happiness lives. It lives here. Right now. In the present moment. Every moment.
‘Happy’ is something you choose.
It’s about spending time with people you want to spend time with, working on things you love, and having an attitude of gratitude by focusing on what you have instead of what you lack. After all, it’s almost impossible to be miserable when you are grateful. You cannot be unhappy when you sit and think about all that you have in life.
I think what confuses some is the reality that you can be happy AND tired, exhausted, stressed or uninspired. You are human, and feelings and emotions are part of life...for short periods of time. If you hold onto those feelings without refocusing on the things mentioned above, you may feel “unhappy.” If that happens too often, you will convince yourself that happiness is something “out there,” not within you.
This brings me back to my question. You might imagine that the answers I get cover a wide range, seeing as how my interviews cover people from all walks of life; from new entrepreneurs to CEOs, from moms with a side hustle to corporate leaders who made the choice to step away from that life to pursue personal and professional goals not tied to someone else’s dream.
But once they consider what “happy” actually means for them, there are three answers that seem to come up over and over again. Three things that these people from seemingly different places in life share in common. Once you think about your own “Happy Place,” you might share them, as well.
One answer is “freedom.”
Many people express to me that they are in their “happy place” when they have freedom to spend quality time with their family, themselves, and in making their schedule.
When you have freedom, you can choose to work for 18 hours straight, but you can also choose to take a day and go to the park with your kids. You choose your windows of time, and you do not compromise those windows so that you can be present in those moments. You have the freedom to choose who you want to (or don’t want to) work with.
By having choices, freedom allows you to find balance with all of the things that are important to you.
A second answer is “the ability to work from anywhere.”
While this may sound similar to having freedom, it is different. The freedom answer is about relationships and time; this is about logistics.
Creativity often increases with a change of scenery; so does energy and inspiration. We can get so complacent, stagnant, unimaginative and uncreative when we don’t get out of our usual environment. It’s hard to see the ‘bigger picture’ when you are seeing the same picture everyday from the same chair in the same room.
The so-called “laptop lifestyle” gives you the ABILITY to change things up easily.
It can be as drastic as going to a different city or as simple as going to a different room in your house. It can even be changing the angle of your desk! Try it - do it right now and instantly see the positive impact it can make by changing your energy and flow.
Several of my interviewees have used this tactic to find their ‘happy place.’ Many have sold their house, bought an RV, and now work from, literally, anywhere they want! Several people in their thirties have chosen to live abroad, taking time to live in Switzerland, Amsterdam, and Costa Rica, just to name a few!
The third answer I get is the feeling that they “have made a contribution to others.”
Doing work that empowers people and makes a positive impact on individuals and communities is often mentioned as a catalyst to being happy and fulfilled.
This is what keeps me going, personally. When you see the results other people are having after you help point them in the right direction, it’s impossible to be selfish! When your focus is on helping others, you take the focus off of yourself and that can inspire you to new heights! When you find yourself in the “woe is me” space, doing something little for someone else can invigorate you and get you back on track.
I encourage you to think about and answer this question for yourself. Whether you have thought about it before or this is the first time, what does working from your happy place mean to you?
By the way...if you want to be inspired, check out my podcast, Work From your Happy Place. If you have an interesting story to share, reach out and let me know. I am always looking to inspire my listeners!
XOXO!
Belinda