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I wanted to intro into this show by talking about a little challenge that I’m doing – the ’30 day no make up challenge’. But I’ve never actually explained why I am doing it…so here we go! It’s getting easier and easier for everyone and myself included to care and place a high importance on things that are meaningless. For us to put on a happy face and only share the highlight reel of our lives and for us to not be real with ourselves or others.

It’s important that you first love and accept yourself first

and foremost so that you are able to have real and meaningful connections with

your world and the naturally beautiful people in it. So it’s just a little

reminder that beauty and value isn’t merely a filter or something that you can

paint on and wear around all day.

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With that being said…let’s talk about today’s topic:

What does it mean to live a ‘good life’?

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We’ve all felt the subtle undercurrents of the media

messages and advertising suggesting that once we have a certain body fat

composition, have a certain fitness level, achieve clear skin, climb the

corporate ladder, and get all the right clothes we’ll FINALLY achieve lasting

happiness.

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This just isn’t the case at all. Sure often these

achievements of success can be the PRODUCT of a healthy mind with a positive

and productive filter, but our happiness is almost completely dependent on our

mind and not our circumstances.

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Studies have shown that people who are in a severe car wreck

and lost the use of their limbs only have a temporary decrease in happiness for

1-3 months, after which they are right back to their ‘basal’ (or baseline)

happiness level.

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On the other side of the coin, we’re all familiar with many

of the public breakdowns and shocking suicides of famous athletes, celebrities

and musicians who seem to have it all: perfect body composition, flawless skin

and good looks, all the toys that money can buy and unmatched success and

prestige in their fields.

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So if wealth, health, fame, fortune and prestige aren’t the

source of lasting happiness, and not even severe loss has a lasting effect on

our happiness… Then what is it that affects our feelings of deep and lasting

happiness?

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The mind.

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The mind is a filter through which all of our experiences can

be used for good or can be used to create sadness, jealousy, anxiety and

depression. Everything we see, every person we interact with and all of our

daily happenings are filtered through the mind. From this filter that we create

and continue to create through our thought patters that we internalize into

beliefs, we see and evaluate the world and create our ‘self.’ And the way we

interpret this directly leads to the emotions that are produced – are you

excited about competing at a partner CrossFit competition? Or are you nervous

that you will embarrass yourself and your partner and feel ‘unfit’ to be at the

event?

Where does your brain go from there? Observe it. What sort

of internal dialogue do you let go on in the background of your mind?

Is it a positive filter like…’I’ve never done an event like this but I’m excited to give it my best shot and ...