How to Find Happiness
Happiness results from one thing—finding awe. 🙌🏼
Dr. Dacher Keltner, a UC Berkeley psychology professor studying human happiness and founding director of Greater Good Science Center, states in his book, Awe...
Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast, and it can help us find meaning and a deeper purpose.
It can be shocking that happiness comes down to this one thing, right? 🤯
While digesting this profound statement, I thought about something that happened to me recently. A few weeks ago, I compulsively decided to travel with my family to Costa Rica over the holiday break.🏝
Originally, we planned to stay and spend the holidays with our extended families, but deep inside, I desired quality time away with my children and husband. We greatly value traveling to new places— being in nature, learning about different cultures, and enjoying quality time through all the new experiences.
The trip went really well, and we returned on New Year’s day. It was a gorgeous sunny day, everything looking lush and green. We learned later that it had rained continuously the entire time we were away! ☔️
After over a week of acclimation to tropical temperatures, we were exhausted from the trip and trying to regulate our body temperatures back to normal.
Our house looked the same way we left it, or so we thought... 🏡
We realized that many things had gone wrong while we were away!
We had no hot water. Our water heater had failed, no hot shower or heat inside the house. We have radiant heating!🥶
Our oven range was broken. A sneaky mouse has been living in the backside of our oven and chewed all the wires!🐭
Our hot tub heater broke. We literally had no hot water source 🧊
Our electrical system seemed off from possible flooding under the house. We can’t charge our car in the garage, making transportation challenging. ⚡️
We had to send the kids to their friend's house to take showers. We were freezing inside the house and had to borrow space heaters for the time being. The holiday season prevented us from making immediate appointments due to all the breaks. The housing setbacks prevented us from catching up on piled-up emails, work responsibilities, and other daily tasks. While also having to purchase new things right after a big vacation!? 💰
Normally, these unfortunate series of events would have stressed me out.
Instead, I felt calm—very calm. I felt gratitude when our plumber came out to check on the water heater and work during the rainy week to install a new one.
I didn’t care about the potential bad news or the looming disaster under the house from all the rainfall. I was grateful for my Instant Pot and toaster oven that enabled me to continue cooking!
(Scroll down to see the hearty lentil soup I made when we were heat-less. This is one of many accessible recipes included in my Mind-Body Reset Cook Book and members of the Mind-Body Reset Program receive a copy. Also, see the recipe video here!)
Being a student of the science of awe, I now think that might have been the contributor.
Our holiday vacation was filled with awe-inspiring events: breathtaking nature and its views, grounding connection, alluring sunsets (you may have seen on my Instagram or FB posts), the kindness of the locals and people around us, etc. 💞
I visualized my own internal cup filling with joy and happiness during our vacation. 🥛
When our internal cup is empty, we feel deprived and burnt out. Our souls feeling disconnected, we are more likely to be reactive and defensive.
When our cup is full, we can more easily cultivate positive emotions such as gratitude, contentment, and generosity. ☺️
Keltner states that awe helps us understand meaning and purposes in life and to set our inner compasses. Oftentimes, we modern humans are awe-deprived and overstimulated, resulting in depression, anxiety, insomnia, and so on, but reconnecting with awe can place us back on the right path.
Awe not only improves our emotional well-being but also has tremendous physical health benefits, including calming our nervous system and reducing inflammation inside our bodies.
What a great deal! 🥳
As we enter the new year, my intention for 2023 is to keep my cup full by conscious efforts to do things that are awe-inspiring.
We tend to get busy with all our daily responsibilities and immediate needs. Sure, it can feel satisfying to get our work done, take care of kids, and make sure everything around the house runs smoothly. I love checking things off my to-do list! 📝
But, we must realize what truly brings us immense joy and keep our hearts full is finding spaciousness, balance, and happiness outside our daily routines.
To me, it is travel and connection with people that I love. ✈️
My question to you: What brings you joy? How will you keep your cup full this year?
If connection is important, perhaps you start reaching out to old friends, coworkers, and family members 💌
If art brings you joy, start experimenting through different mediums—painting, writing, singing, dancing, etc 🎨
If you desire to travel, like me, plan a vacation for later this year and start working on a budget, the anticipation will bring enjoyment to you for many months 🚌
Personally, I have decided leading yoga retreats brings me joy and it's time for me to adventure back to that! It has been a missing piece in my life over the past few years. 🧘🏽♀️
There are many aspects of yoga retreats that inspire: nature, inner and outer beauty, community with like-minded people, and sharing personal stories. Collective movement, like group yoga classes, is one of the awe-inspiring activities mentioned in Awe. No wonder the buzzing effect of yoga retreats last for several months, longer than usual vacations!
How about you?
Set your intention with action plans that result in the finding of your awe and joy in your life, and share with me on my Social! It is helpful to hear different ways that we each fill our inner cup ❤️
In the meantime, stay tuned for the next retreat info (it’ll be another fantastic one in a new location, like our previous ones!) 🌅
Email me if you want to be the first to know about the details!
Much love,
Ai ❣️
Hearty Lentil Soup
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
1 cup lentils, uncooked
8 cups water or vegetable broth
1 bunch kale
8 oz mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, thickly sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 Kabocha or other winter squash
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp coconut amino, or tamari
1Tbsp freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 can of coconut milk
Directions
Soak lentils overnight. Rinse well. Put them into the pressure cooker or pot along with the water or broth.
While the broth is heating, chop the vegetables. Skim any forms that appear at the surface. Add all ingredients to the pot and stir. Cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, about an hour; add water as necessary.
Remove the bay leaves, add coconut milk, and check the seasonings, adding more seasoning and salt, if desired.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and enjoy!