What does being the Happiness Warrior mean to me?
- Written by Eric North aka “The Happiness Warrior”
I’ve always felt I’ve had an innate need to set things right. If I see someone or something struggling, my nature is to help. I want them to feel good about themselves and their abilities but most importantly to find the best solution that makes everyone happy. This has helped me navigate 2020 with much more clarity and use my natural Warrior Mindset to serve the greater good. As the Happiness Warrior I’ve discovered a place beyond my own needs which has helped me figure out how I can make a difference and thrive in this rapidly changing and sometimes hostile feeling world. A world where unhappiness is all too normalized
This year we’ve all experienced major life changes and I believe that my Happiness Warrior mindset can serve as a gateway to better lives for us all. I’ve built my business career around the philosophy that I will always earn a good living if I always do the right thing. The stronger my moral compass the happier I am. Adversity and crises are tools to teach us lessons that will make us stronger and better. All of us will have hard moments in life but if we persevere with positive intention a good outcome will always prevail. Happiness can give us a “Ready for Anything” mindset that I strongly feel will help us better understand and react to whatever comes at us in the future.
As an advocate for happiness-building, a shared happiness plays a role in every action in my life, whether it’s personal, such as expanding my experience or taking care of my physical body or helping others learn to be happy and feel good about themselves. Happy people create other happy people. Happy people lead the way and show us an alternative and optimal way of living.
The first step (and sometimes the hardest) is giving yourself permission to be happy, forgiving yourself for mistakes and missteps that have hurt yourself and others, and working towards the closure of long festering emotional wounds. I’m very disciplined with my affirmations and intentions and start each day by saying, “It’s going to be a great day.” Most often I will say my name as well and give it a bit more power. It’s amazing what this can do for anyone at any age. Simple enough for a child to understand and uncomplicated and powerful for adults.
Daily disciplines and mindfulness are a huge part of the Happiness Warrior mindset which grows stronger when we learn to listen and accept what we need to be happy and thrive. For me, it means following these 5 Happiness Warrior Core Values:
-
Treat your Body as if your life depends on it.
-
Be conscious in all Actions, think before you react
-
Practice Self Awareness
-
Have a “Ready for Anything” mindset
-
Seek Clarity in all actions
These values are deeply ingrained in me and provide the personal discipline I need to be happier, kinder, more productive and increase my gratitude for everything that makes me who I am. This helps keep me attuned with my core values and increases my gratitude, sense of accomplishment, meaning and happiness with my life.
One great and quick way to get to a happier place is to think of three things you love, that give you joy. It could be a favorite book, a tree in your yard or the park, your dog or cat, your son, daughter, niece or nephew. Expressing gratitude is key. Start thinking about ways to make yourself happier. Happiness is perception—I choose how I see the world and I see a world where happiness with us all the time.
I have a non-negotiable approach to starting each day with a life affirming three-part morning routine which I break down into:
Affirmation: Every morning upon waking up I say aloud “it’s going to be a great day!” without any hesitation, knowing that I have the power to create a great day ahead is all I need to know. Everyone I know who’s done this themselves have told me how valuable it’s been in their lives and how much happier and excited they are to wake up every day!
Hydration: The first step in the day is caring for my physical self and showing my body that I love and care for it by replenishing my organs and increasing blood flow.
Activation: This is when I start reconnecting my body with my mind, starting with a deep squat and deep breathing, more breathing and working through a simple stretching routine along with 100 pushups.
For those like myself seeking meaning in our lives, the way I choose to perceive the world has taught me a lesson that happiness creates meaning and meaning gives me an intuitive sense of purpose and feeling of contributing to something greater than myself. Once I understand the connection between happiness and meaning I become more grateful, smiled a lot more and expanded my life experience.
Happy people tend to:
-Be more successful in relationships, friendships, income, work performance and health and life in general
-be sick and injured less often and experience fewer symptoms when ill, they understand the mind-body connection
-eat healthier and exercise more and care for their bodies
-live longer, fuller lives
-have better immune system health
-heal and recover from injuries faster
-have better nutrition, better sleep and increased energy
-have a healthier cardiovascular system
-have more friends a larger personal support system
- be more generous, donate to charity and more likely to volunteer
-have a positive influence on the lives of others and encourage them be happier
-have more meaningful conversations
-be more authentic and truthful
-smile more (harder with a mask, but we also smile with our eyes, which is beautiful)
-be more productive, more creative and have more ability to change and adapt
-have an easier time with difficult or challenging life events such as grief
-intentionally grateful
-have greater self-esteem and see the value in others
Everyone can learn to be happy but not everyone knows how or where to start, the first thing to is to learn to be comfortable with yourself, dare to dream the life you want and most importantly give yourself permission to be happy. Once you give yourself that approval your happiness will be expansive and you’ll share your happiness with everyone around you. Once we learn that the pursuit of pleasure will rarely bring happiness. Happiness comes from mindfulness and gratitude about life:
Things to do to be happy right now:
-
Think of three things that makes you happy
-
Take 5 mins to do something nice for someone
-
Send a quick thank you to someone in your life
-
Indulge in an activity that you take pleasure in
-
Remember empathy above all
-
Practice mindful meditation and breathing exercises (easy to learn)
Life is hardly every easy every day but when we learn to be happy our thoughts will change, the way we think will brighten and we’ll feel more optimism and hope in everything we do. Happiness is more than a state of mind and I believe it can become a way of life. As the Happiness Warrior my mission is help us feel what happiness really is, experience the power of happiness and continue and share my happiness seeking journey. The world needs a better perspective and a world with more happiness and happier people will make all the difference.
