Discover what truly makes you happy and live a more purposeful life

I’ve been asking everyone who crosses The Vibrancy Hub’s path recently if they feel genuinely happy and content.

It can feel a little bit confronting but I really feel this is an important question. Everybody is so busy on our own little hamster wheel striving forwards, doing our best - that we rarely stop to think about whether what we’re doing genuinely makes us happy.

Like, totally gooey happy!

A lot of the time we just do what we have always done and what other people expect of us. The sad truth is, often the things that we think make us happy actually don't make us feel that good at all!  

Now before you stop me here and tell me that feeling genuinely happy is impossible, let me tell you how you can achieve greater energy, purpose and happiness in your life with just a few simple tweaks. 

What’s happiness got to do with anything?

Good question. I’m glad you asked.

Human beings are happier and more fulfilled when their lives have a sense of meaning and purpose.

For example, ever wondered why you set goals and rarely achieve them?

It’s often because the things you are attempting to do are not aligned to your values and strengths - resulting in a total lack of motivation and an underlying feeling of discontentment.

Let’s be honest - that feeling totally sucks. But why would you ever feel motivated to work towards your goals if achieving them does not provide you with total, blissful contentment?

That’s right. You’re wasting your time on actions that don’t make you happy.

If you’re not sure what that may look like there are some good examples in this article on how to tell if your life is out of whack, which I found myself nodding at. 

Let’s talk about values  

Values are NOT goals – they are not about what you want to get or achieve, they are about how you want to behave on an ongoing basis. They help us to understand what is important to us an individual and give us a real sense of purpose.

Once you understand your values, decision making is much easier as you are clear on the action you should take to live your life full of personal purpose.

Absolute game changer!

Knowing what you enjoy helps you feel strong, positive and alive!

You’ll quickly start making decisions and taking actions that reflect what you want in life - and that will feel pretty fantastic, trust us. 

And what about your strengths?

Ever felt like there are certain tasks that come easily to you? That’s because you are in possession of a unique combination of strengths that means there are activities that you can carry out better than anyone else on this planet!

The bonus here is that you are more likely to value your job and achieve your goals if they align to your strengths and allow you to utilise them.

Talk about a win-win! 

Getting the balance right at work

It’s also super important that our personal values align with that of our employer on some level.

There’s nothing worse than a disingenuous employer who lets their workforce down by not following through on their values. It can also be hard to remain motivated if you feel that your employer is losing their integrity, which can be why some of us struggle at work.

Workplace wellness plays a huge part in our happiness and we wrote about why it’s so important to talk about how we’re feeling at work in a recent blog post.  

It’s time to rediscover you

So, how can you marry up your values and your strengths to tap into that fizzing vitality we all crave?

There are many approaches you can take to identify your values and your skills and we’ve shared a lot of tips in previous blogs.

Take a look at:

- How you can start putting yourself first

- Teeny-tiny self-care tips you can implement on a daily basis.

I love this article on Mind Tools that sets out some great questions to identify your values and strengths, but here are some conversation starters to get the cogs whirring straight away:

- What are you most likely to be doing when time just slips away in a blur?

- When do you feel at your most happiest? Think about what you’re doing, when and with who...

- Ask friends and family to tell you what they think you do brilliantly

- Can you recall a time when you felt really proud? What was this like? 

What makes you happy?

The time is now!

Don’t just carry on doing what you’ve always done because you think that’s all that life has in store for you… Connecting to your true self will make it easier for you to take intentional actions that will see you start to live a happier, more purposeful life overnight!

If you have any questions - get in touch. These are the kinds of conversations we love having at The Vibrancy Hub!

Keep your eyes peeled for our next Rediscover You workshop where we share tips and reflection tools so you leave with a stronger sense of self and renewed optimism!