Recently I came across an article by Science & Soul outlining 5 rules for life with the first one suggesting to stop searching for happiness and to look for meaning instead.
Having just written and published a book on how to create a meaningful life full of joy, I could not agree more. And yet, I used to hold workshops on happiness and even wrote a previous book about happiness, sharing research and my 11 secrets to lasting happiness.
How could both be true and valid?
The answer seemed simple in the end. Meaning and joy derives from living your life aligned with your deepest inner values, being aware and conscious and knowing how to use your inner value compass in day-to-day life. Few people confidently know their complete set of values. They mix them up with values they believe they ‘should’ hold and therefore experience uncertainty and conflict rather than joy and meaning. You can do the test for yourself below and find out whether you know yours (awareness is the pre-requisite for consciously using them to realise your dream life). Being honest to yourself, see how many questions you can answer with a firm ‘YES’.
5 Question Value Check
1 Can I name one of my values with absolute certainty? YES or NO
2 Can I confidently name all of my values with absolute certainty? YES or NO
3 Can I confidently name them in order of priority? YES or NO
4 Can I be certain that I have not missed a key value of mine? YES or NO
5 Am I often consciously using my values to guide my life decisions? YES or NO
Overall, how confident and clear am I about what my unique values are and how to use them?
Scale 0-10
In my workshops few people have more than one ‘YES’ and realise how much they would benefit from investing time in this area. If you would like me to support you in creating your complete value compass and confidently create your most meaningful life, why not take the IVALYOO online course? It only takes 2-3 hours a week over 8 weeks and you have a tool to use for the rest of your life to create meaning and enjoy the type of inspiration and energy you may have been missing for years.
Some people will not feel ready just yet. And before people have invested the time to reflect and develop their own value compass to a degree that leaves them conscious and intensely confident, tips for increasing happiness continue to have their place and can make a huge difference. I have therefore decided to share my 11 happiness secrets over the next few months so watch this space.