Hacking Happy Blog

If you feel like the world has gone mad I doubt you are alone. Is it any wonder when a quick search of any major publication in the world will find your computer screen screaming at you don’t touch anyone, stock up on essentials, lock yourself away, the recession is unavoidable, prepare for the worst. Fear is everywhere and it’s fucking with us. We challenge you don’t let it!

What if the happiness we seek is not found in focusing on the wanting for what we don't have, but on the other side of the things we avoid? I put this question to the test myself, and this is what happened.

This week I turn 44, and last week I lost a dear friend who fell just shy of her 44^th birthday by a month. The juxtaposition of these two events has left me pondering what makes a happy life?

I pride myself on seeing things through, my word is part of who I am, so when I say I’m going to do something, I follow through. However, I have a confession to make, I recently quit what could be perceived as one of the most amazing opportunities I’ve had.

Last week I started full time for eight weeks in the first Australian Antler Cohort in Sydney. Antler is an incubator program that focuses on creating the next wave of tech companies.They had over 1000 applicants but accepted only 71 amazing humans of which I was fortunate enough to be one. Some may consider this a success but at the end of week one, I found myself questioning if this is success, why do I feel so uncomfortable?

Adventure is defined as ‘an unusual, exciting or daring experience’, I figured that was exactly what we needed from a place like Nepal.  Having never been there I thought to myself, why not tack on a 7-day, 120-kilometre trek through the Himalayas to Annapurna Base Camp with my eight-year-old son.

With so much technology being developed to deliver greater convenience and efficiency in how we work and live, where is all the newly created space going? How are people filling it? Are we intentionally adapting or unconsciously being pulled along?

The one observation I consistently have in teaching the human skills to thrive in uncertainty is that many of us are at a loss as to what gives us meaning in life and presents a clear opportunity.  This is why I’m challenging the terminology of the highly topical measure of future success AQ and relabelling it IAQ (Intentional Adaptability Quotient)

Almost three years ago I turned my life upside down in pursuit of the holy grail – HAPPINESS. I left a 16-year career as an executive, relocated a family from Perth back to Melbourne, left and 18-year relationship and started my own purpose-driven company BKindred, all within six months. Crazy right?

When was the last time you said yes to something you didn’t want to do? For most of the people I meet, unfortunately, this is a daily practice. A practice that impacts our happiness, and our ability to live the life that we want.

I have a confession to make, I think I’m a hypocrite in the self-care space. I spend a lot of time with clients, and large groups, preaching the importance of self-care in order to create happiness in life, and yet this year my actions in this space have not lived up to my intentions.

I believe anxiety amongst professionals is growing at an alarming rate. I seek to shine a spotlight on what I perceive to be a silent crisis with the intent of provoking positive change amongst leaders.