Are You Happy or Distracted?
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You've made it through another week and just in case nobody has told you today... you're doing great!
There's a big difference between being truly happy and distracting yourself from sadness.
My core assumption as a coach is that the only path to sustainable happiness is to follow your life's calling. I believe you were born with a unique purpose and are called to bring it forward in service to other people.
Your calling is what gives you the motivation to get out of bed each day and keeps you moving forward. Your calling is the reason you were born.
However, finding your calling is a discovery process that unfolds over time. The journey requires a tremendous amount of courage and a willingness to step into uncertainty, which is terrifying to your nervous system.
And that's why most people value coping over following their calling.
There are a variety of coping mechanisms we use as a short term distraction from unhappiness, but they give us nothing long term.
Some people resort to low-level coping strategies like drugs, alcohol, binge eating, Netflix binging, staying in a toxic relationship, or staying in a soul-sucking, low-paying job.
However, many people, especially people who have studied personal growth, avoid their calling by distracting themselves with high-level coping mechanisms. Are any of these familiar?
Crushing it -- in a high-paying job that's still soul-sucking.
Pampering disguised as "self-care" -- Sunday Funday, Boozy Brunch, Mani/Pedi, etc.
Buying self-help books and attending seminars -- but never implementing what you learn and you just stay in old habits.
3 weeks of paid vacation -- while being stressed and miserable in your job the other 49 weeks of the year.
Retail therapy -- The new jeans look great, but you still aren't happy when you wear them.
Don't get me wrong. This is NOT a message to shame you for wanting and having nice things. You are allowed to have whatever you desire.
But crushing it is useless if your work is meaningless to you.
Consuming your value from the world (with a bigger house, a nicer car, or more "stuff") never feels as good as following your calling and bringing your value TO the world.
Coping is a great distraction, but the long term path to happiness is through taking consistent, courageous action in the direction of your calling.
This is why my clients ultimately decide to work with me. They want to overcome the coping strategies that keep them stuck so they can thrive emotionally, spiritually, and financially by discovering and following their life's calling.
Maybe you intuitively know what you're called to do but fear of failure has kept you stuck in old coping patterns.
Maybe you have never known what you want to be when you grow up and you're just going through the motions.
Wherever you're at, my coaching programs are designed to help you gain clarity, build confidence, and take you from surviving to thriving as you create a career and life with more purpose, meaning, and free time. Want to talk about your goals? Schedule a call with me here.