I’ve come to love challenges because that’s where the growth comes. And that’s exciting. So exciting that I’ve created challenges for myself to do lately, relatively easy ways to improve my life. If you’re feeling stuck and uninspired giving yourself a challenge can be a great way to change and energize your life. Figuring out what needs improving and then working at it, that’s the fun. When you take on new challenges or create ones for yourself you find you become less interested in the results. It’s the process that compels. We’re all happier when we stop worrying about results. And when you concern yourself with the work, the process, you usually end up getting some pretty amazing results. Like buying the freshest, best ingredients and creating a meal out of it… you end up with something unexpectedly wonderful.
Back to challenges. What I mean by challenges are these Happiness Series missions we create for all of us to do. The type of challenge, that should you choose to accept it, definitely improves your life. Here are 3 challenges I’ve been doing this past month.
The second one I’ve taken on is the “what else is possible?” challenge. Recently I attended a party hosted by Tony LeRoy, met his friend Gabriella Fry Chesneau, and learned how she uses the question “what else is possible?” to keep the energy of, as she calls it, universal gifting flowing. I was intrigued. I’ve been saying “what else is possible” 24/7 as Gabriella advised in her blog. Each time something “bad” and “good” happens in my life. And it kinda makes life feel like a game. I feel more in the flow, and when I’m not I say it anyway. Because it reminds me that I have been in the flow, in the now, before, and I’ll be there again. It’s also made me alive to the magic in my life. The little gifts I receive all the time from the universe… I’m more aware of them and more grateful. So, what else is possible? More and more and still yet more. I’d like to keep doing this one for the rest of the year and beyond!
My third challenge is one devised by me for me. It’s the no-mean-words challenge. It finally dawned on me (after years of hearing this from other people, Happiness experts, friends, partners) that my constant denigrating of myself was bringing me down. It wasn’t helping. I always thought the harder and meaner you are to yourself the better you’ll be. Mistake. Not true. It actually held me back from being my truest, best self. So, I stopped. It’s been about 2 weeks now, and it’s amazing how much my day-to-day happiness has improved. It’s also alarming how often I put myself down. I catch myself all the time. I’m really glad to give this one up. I feel lighter and happier. And guess what? I’m kinder to those around me. Lucky them. Lucky me. I’d like to keep doing this challenge for the rest of my life.
So what’s the point of all these challenges? The point is that if you do them with me, for the rest of the year, you will feel better. You will be happier. Your life will improve. This isn’t about spending more money or more time but working with what you’ve got now. Subtracting what doesn’t work, like sugar in your diet, mean words, and adding what makes life funner, richer, better… like asking yourself “what else is possible?” all the time, in “good” and in “bad” times.