Okay, if you’re ready to learn how to be happy and live a joyful, love-filled life you need to start here at Step One. Over the next few weeks, I’ll lay out the five additional steps to happiness, complete with a weekly challenge for each. I encourage you to embrace these challenges and really dig in to take control of your own inner peace and joyfulness.
You’re in the right place if you feel
-Like something’s missing from your life
-Unhappy, unfulfilled or depressed
-A sense of emptiness
-Loneliness or disconnected from others
-Lost or unsure about how to move forward
You’re in the right place if you feel
-Like something’s missing from your life
-Unhappy, unfulfilled or depressed
-A sense of emptiness
-Loneliness or disconnected from others
-Lost or unsure about how to move forward
Like most first-steps in life, it all starts with awareness.
Why is awareness so important? Because only when we have awareness can we consciously choose a different path. Awareness is especially important when we’re surrounded by people or engulfed in a society that, by and large, have a similar behavior or habit. We may accept this way of being as normal and never really question or explore it, even though it contributes to our unhappiness.
We are a society of unaware seekers. We are constantly on the lookout for something more, better or different. You see, we are so used to seeking, we often don’t even realize we’re doing it.
We’ve come to believe this drive to consume is normal. It’s common in our society to be unsatisfied and want more …a bigger house, a nicer wardrobe, a better job, a different relationship, a bod that rocks, etc.
However, when we achieve a goal, the satisfaction is only temporary. Soon, the discontentment sets in and we’re right back seeking the next morsel of joy. The more-better-different-train chugs on.
Without awareness there’s no stopping this runaway train. The way to end the cycle of dissatisfaction and finally feel fulfilled and happy is to courageously examine why deep down we really want these things. What is below the surface material gain? What’s fueling our deep seeded need to consume?
The answer is not overtly obvious, and can even be downright elusive.
It’s a nondescript feeling of emptiness. It’s hard to even put our finger on it. Sometimes it may be easier to identify by saying we don’t feel whole. It’s an uncomfortable feeling we’ve carried with us most of our lives, and because we don’t know how to heal it, we stuff it down or push it away. But it keeps coming back, like the worst kind of unwanted visitor.
I call it the void. It’s a black hole inside us that sucks away all the goodness and spews out fear, pain, emptiness and loneliness. It obstructs happiness and makes it impossible to feel complete, whole, happy or at peace.
Some people experience the void subtly; they know there’s something more to life, but don’t know what it is. Others feel the void acutely and painfully. Personally, I suffered from a suffocatingly agonizing void. So much so, I thought the only way I could get rid of it was by dying. Thankfully, I opted to find a different route and learned to conquer the void permanently. And I cannot wait to show you how to as well!
Step One is to acknowledge the feeling something’s missing, or bring awareness to the void. If you’ve already mastered this step, well done you! If you’re wondering if you have an inner void, you might think the ‘pain’ and ‘fear’ signals would tip you off, but sometimes the void appears in more subtle ways like these…
- You only do things for yourself when it’s absolutely necessary.
- You live for the weekend (and/or your next vacation).
- ‘Busy’ is your badge of honor.
- When you do give yourself TLC, you feel guilty afterwards.
- ‘Burnt out’ and ‘tired’ are your middle names.
- You feel like there’s a distinct lack of joy in your life.
- You have to wait for the stars to align and for a situation/time to be perfect before you do what you love.
- You feel like you’re on a treadmill, running from task to task.
- It’s easy to name things you’ve done for other people… but almost impossible to remember when you’ve done something for yourself.
- You feel like something is missing.
- You rarely laugh.
If you’ve ticked off one, or more of these symptoms then it’s likely that the void isn’t a stranger in your home. So, what are you supposed to do? Roll out the welcome mat?
Absolutely. Not.
You do not – and should not – have to live with the void.
Which is why over the next six-weeks, I’m going to teach you how to slay the void and The Six Proven Steps to Happiness. Each week in this powerful Fulfillment Series, you’ll have an assignment to help get you on the path to living an authentic and joyful life!
Ready to dig in? You got this!
Challenge
This week, become aware of your void. When you find yourself seeking something more, better or different, don’t get lost in the daydream or push it away and make yourself feel better as quickly as possible. Become a detective and investigate it. It can take courage to confront this potentially painful place inside ourselves.
1. Get your journal and go somewhere you won’t be disturbed for at least twenty minutes.
2. Free write without judgment about your void. Remember, you’re just being a detective!
a. When did you first notice the void in your life? How old were you?
b. When does it most frequently arise?
Is there a situation that usually triggers it? Is there a common thought pattern that comes before it? Do you feel it more commonly around certain people?
c. What does it feel like?
Ex: Is it spiky or smooth; light or heavy; bright or gloomy, etc. Does it have a temperature or a color? Where do you feel it in your body?
d. On average, how long does it last?
Ex: Is it momentary, or does it linger for hour or days?
About the author:
Jennifer is a grounded and down-to-earth multi-sensitive empath and intuitive soul coach. She sees the world through an energetic and spiritual lens while offering real-world tools to help clients live a balanced and harmonious life. Drawing from a variety of traditions including Theta Healing, Yuen Method, Qigong, Shamanism and Spiritual Psychology, she helps clients reclaim their joy and align with their Authentic Self. Her work is featured in various online outlets including the popular blog and bookstore, Bodhi Tree.
