The Happiness Project

Hello guys, how are you doing today? And well, I also realise that I can’t expect you guys to be totally fine all the time right?! Well, we are humans going through a pandemic. So today’s topic is very close to my ‘state of being’ like many of you. And I believe it’s very important for us to talk about it and acknowledge this feeling! I am happy to bring to you some insightful information on this topic 'Languishing' from our very expert Adam Grant, Organisational Psychologist.

I going researching quite a bit about a wide range of topics that I am planning to cover in my upcoming episodes but this one definitely calls for some attention. And I wanted to bring about what I am going through and how am I dealing with this. And trust me, you’d all agree that I am not the only one. More than half of the population is going through this!

Recently, I have felt stuck, in a sort of limbo where essences of life have kept buzzing around me, but I just can’t access them. Life is at once too overwhelming and not engaging enough. Each task I do requires a search for motivation beyond anything I’ve ever known. I’m tired, burnt out, and not often excited, but also restless, eager to engage, and trying.

Just like in the New York Times, Adam Grant says, there’s a word for it and it’s called Languishing. ‘And languishing is the neglected middle child between depression and thriving. And can dull out motivation and focus — and it may be the dominant emotion of 2021.

What can you do to combat it? Calling it by name is an excellent first step. This can put a stage light on its presence in your life. Try to source the symptoms of your own languishing (e.g. Have you stopped walking? Reading? Cooking?) while identifying habits that could pull you back to where you deserve to be.

Tune in to the entire episode to know more about Languishing and how to combat it -  from taking time whenever possible, finding your flow to embracing healthy thoughts!

Well, I can’t believe this is the last episode of my chat with Phil and it’s now coming to an end! Ah, the last four weeks were incredible – full of learning, conceptualizing, understanding and implementing. There’s so much that we spoke about in detail and just in case you’ve missed out on any episode – do tune in to all the other episodes to get a deeper understanding of ‘The Shift’.

Also, I hope you guys are doing well, staying safe, keeping yourselves hydrated and most importantly – taking care of yourself (both physically and mentally).

In this episode, particularly, Phil and I talk about Spiritual Surrender and the importance of Letting Go! When most people hear the word surrender, they think of something negative: giving up, losing, being humiliated, or allowing yourself to be controlled or perhaps even imprisoned. However, when used in a spiritual context, surrender also means to give up but here it’s to give up everything that no longer serves you. Spiritual surrender is to stop struggling against “what is”, let go of the smallness of life, and fully embrace its totality.

Surrender isn't about withdrawing from life, nor is it about surrendering your power to make choices and take action to change and improve your present situation. It is about letting go of the things ‌outside of your control. Accepting the present moment circumstances and harmonizing in the present. To do this it is essential to identify where you have the power and ability to change your life and what is out of your control. When you can't change something, accept what is, surrender the outcome over to the Divine, and trust that some hidden blessings and silver linings will appear‌.

Phil also talks about Letting go.. Letting go relates to clearing out and changing lower vibrational patterns holding you back. Ask yourself, are you still habitually doing things or holding onto addictions you know aren't serving you? This may clear so many doubts for you! In fact, in the entire process of ‘Shift’ he also talks about the importance of Meditation and Awareness and how if you need to shift your life for better – you need to make it a habit and do things intentionally! Well, tune into the entire episode till the very end and find out for yourself – the process of surrendering and letting go!

To know more about Phil Lee - (Helping Technology Salespeople Find and Close Bigger Deals in Less Time Even During an Economic Downturn): CLIENT TESTIMONIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1bKZ9UMMfk&t=9s Website: www.phillee.com.au | Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sales-trainer-coach-sydney

Like I mentioned last week, this chat keeps getting deeper and deeper and deeper. Just in case you’ll have the previous episodes with Phil Lee – please do make your way right now and listen to those episodes to get a full-fledged understanding of the concept of ‘Shift’.

I remember Phil sending me an email last week asking ‘if I experienced any shift after our conversation’ and I did share about my experience where I was kind of subtly blocking myself from feeling whole and complete because of some recent past trauma and I was sort of holding onto the idea of something that isn’t real. And Phil replied to that email saying ‘ The Shift is a knowing and experiencing that you are not the thoughts about past “trauma” or the feelings associated with the thoughts (anxiety, fear, remorse etc). You are the one who notices them arise. From the place You can simply observe them and they will dissipate. t’s not easy and it takes work. In truth, thoughts and feelings of this type (we call it trauma) are just the energy of painful experiences from the past we have held onto. They are not You and you can let them go!’ I am not saying that – I radically accepted what Phil said (and not like I didn’t know all of this) but the best part is – I needed to hear it from someone else. And this email reminded me of all the things that ‘I am not’. And it doesn't happen overnight – it takes work. All of this takes practice. And that’s something that Phil and I are going to discuss in this episode.

Ah, so well – In this episode, Phil helps us understand that ‘The Shift’ essentially is about working on the inside and not the outside, for example – none of us could control the pandemic irrespective of how everyone’s doing their bit. Shift is understanding that Happiness is an inner experience. Phil believes – everything is energy. And there are times when we are not able to experience emotions like ‘happiness’ all the time and why is that? That’s because we have a lot of energy from our past experiences (mostly traumatic ones) that are stored within us that makes it difficult for us to be open to new positive experiences. And if we want to unblock that energy, he says, it’s not easy. It takes up a lot of work. And you have to be willing to do it and be committed to it every single day. He also talks about the importance of emotions that control the experience of our lives. In fact, we were all children. And most of us experience childhood trauma that does control our behaviors, actions and emotions as we evolve into adulthood. Because of lack of understanding, we keep telling ourselves a narrative for years and that controls our lives. So, Phil talks about how we can change that narrative so we can experience a healthy way to manage our lives. It’s about realizing that ‘a story is a story’. It’s about observing our thoughts as we go through the day. Identity crisis is another focus of discussion in this episode – he says, it’s the mind trying to figure out all the stuff. Oh, I don’t know who I am supposed to do, what am I supposed to be etc. What you do is you identify with your thoughts and you think they are you – that’s where the problem lies. Well, this is just a glimpse of the entire episode. So do tune into the episode till the very end – because like I said – the conversation just keeps getting deeper and deeper and deeper. And on a very serious note – I genuinely do want you all to understand this concept and live this with us throughout these episodes!!

To know more about Phil Lee - (Helping Technology Salespeople Find and Close Bigger Deals in Less Time Even During an Economic Downturn): CLIENT TESTIMONIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1bKZ9UMMfk&t=9s Website: www.phillee.com.au | Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sales-trainer-coach-sydney

I wanted to quickly share some amazing news with ya’ll .. My podcast ‘The Happiness Project’ is now being heard in more than 100 countries. I feel immensely grateful for this platform and for being able to connect with you all and contribute my share of experiences, expertise and interviews. And of course, all of this wouldn’t have been possible without the support that I have received from you guys week after week!! Well, yes this is hard to accept and kinda believe – but I am also proud of myself for being consistent and continuously collaborating and networking with people from across the globe to bring the best possible content for you guys!!

So well if there’s something that I want to share today it's this – 'Follow your passion. Follow that inner voice and let it guide you. Show up – even on those days when you feel the most uncomfortable – because you’ll realise how showing up makes so much of difference. Put yourself out there – and you’d be surprised to see how much the world needs you. And most importantly - just walk your journey. You may not be able to make sense of everything right now but just know that when you’re functioning from a space of purpose and passion and continuous effort to make a difference and be an unstoppable force of good – life will only start happening in that direction! And then, nothing.. I mean nothing can stop you from experiencing your life to the fullest on a daily basis'

So now moving on to our second episode of this series with Phil Lee – This episode is in continuation with our previous episode where Phil introduced to the concept of ‘The Shift’. He also took us through his life journey of challenging childhood circumstances that led Phil to a traditional personal growth journey in mid 20’s to late 50’s. At the age of 60, Phil went through a personal crises that directed him to a spiritual path. He also talks about what’s wrong with goal setting and the traditional notions of success and achievement and why we’re all taught to look in the wrong places. As and how the conversation moved forward, Phil discussed about the shift principle which involves a realisation that it’s our management of our own inner world, rather than the outer world that ultimately determines our state of being.

In fact, in continuation to our previous episode, in this episode – we take a deeper look at the shift, from what is true freedom and happiness. He talks about how we can be present and ‘in this moment’ to experience life to the fullest. He talks about how there’s so much of energy blocked within us that it doesn’t allow us to look beyond that. And how awareness is a source of spiritual freedom. One of the most interesting things that he talks about is ‘the death of our ego and spiritual surrender’ and how that typically happens only when we experience a personally challenging situation. He says, true freedom is freedom from yourself, it’s not needing all that stuff (a nice house, a wonderful marriage, an expensive car). It’s freedom from your conditioned mind. He also touch bases upon some interesting concepts – that nothing is coincidental. That we come from the stars. We come from the big bang. This moment has been orchestrated from the past 13.8 billion years – ‘where Phil reached out to me and everything just felt right and connected’. He says, yes, we were involved but we are all part of this cosmic world. There are things that are happening that are beyond our imagination.

Well, this conversation just keeps getting interesting. So tune into the entire episode and find out so much more about this conversation in detail.

To know more about Phil Lee - (Helping Technology Salespeople Find and Close Bigger Deals in Less Time Even During an Economic Downturn): CLIENT TESTIMONIAL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1bKZ9UMMfk&t=9s Website: www.phillee.com.au | Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sales-trainer-coach-sydney

In this entire month, I am in conversation with Phil Lee, who has always been a searcher and seeker of The Truth. Phil introduces us to something called ‘The Shift’ and this concept is so intriguing that it gets us to rethink our entire process of life and how we have built systems that are kind of controlling our experiences of life. If there’s something that I have learnt while interviewing Phil Lee – it’s this - That, you are far more powerful than any circumstance, situation or conditions you will ever find yourself in.

You can’t always control what happens in your life, but you can always control how you choose to respond. And by becoming aware of your patterns, and ensuring you have expansive and empowering ones in place, you’ll be truly astounded by how quickly you’re able to shift your thoughts and create extraordinary results in your life that you’re absolutely in love with! Do you long for more in life, but you’re not quite sure what it is that you would most like to be, do, have or give in this life? Or do you have a clear sense of your greatest dreams but are looking to accelerate your result? I really hope these episodes give you some sort of clarity and makes you reflect even deeper. Phil when he was in his early 20’s, following some challenging personal circumstances, he began a personal growth journey and followed the traditional path of trying to figure out what would make him happy, setting goals, and then working hard to achieve them. By the age of 50 he had managed to put a tick against all of the goals he had set, and with a desire to give back and help others, Phil pivoted from his career as a successful technology business owner and became a motivational speaker and executive coach helping others to achieve their goals and dreams. In his early 60’s, reflecting on his own personal experiences and closely observing other highly successful people, he began to question that the very thing everyone seemed to be chasing, lasting happiness and personal fulfillment, was to be found in external achievement and success. In short, those that were seen to be very successful did not seem to be genuinely happier or more satisfied than anyone else. They had more but they still had problems and were plagued by worry and insecurities. This revelation put Phil on the path of Spiritual exploration and extensive study and practice. Now 66 years of age, Phil knows that true happiness and fulfillment is an internal, not an external experience, and can only be found by complete acceptance of the present moment and by letting go of the part of you that has a problem with life unfolding as it is. Phil has been facilitating a weekly workshop around the principles he practices for nearly five years now, and I am so grateful to be in conversation with Phil and allow him to take us all through some life-altering experiences and wisdom. To know more about Phil Lee -

(Helping Technology Salespeople Find and Close Bigger Deals in Less Time Even During an Economic Downturn):

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1bKZ9UMMfk&t=9s

Website: www.phillee.com.au | Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sales-trainer-coach-sydney

The journey towards wellness has taught me that wellness is just not just about the ‘physical aspect rather about each and every aspect of our being – from physical, mental, spiritual and emotional. And it’s so important to consistently keep a check on how we are doing in each of these areas!

Wellness can often feel like an all-or-nothing pursuit — like if you don’t have time to do it all perfectly, you might as well not bother with anything at all. But even small, simple changes can drastically improve your health. I am going to share a couple of things to quickly summarise this series and most importantly introduce you’ll to our guest on this show today. I am so delighted to have Dr. Anita Jain, who is a Homeopath for over two decades, is also a mother who is constantly juggling between different roles in her life (and killing it), who shares some incredible ways to make wellness our priority. Her journey towards wellness has been extremely inspiring especially because she has grown through what she has gone through in life. And her journey with skin issues and infertility for years helped her understand the importance of wellness in a very different light - of how wellness is not just physical, and how all areas of wellness are interlinked. She grew up with a very uptight and a disciplined father that put a lot of pressure on her and somehow that led her to pleasing people throughout her life. In fact, she continued to please people even after she got married and had this immense pressure to prove everyone and be perfect - that led to put her needs aside. Well, over the years, so many experiences led her to make herself a priority and in this episode, she emphasises on the importance of self-love, self-care, the important of saying no to people, putting your needs first, enjoying the process, accepting and embracing our flaws, and most importantly understanding our triggers when they pop up! I am so excited for this interview especially because I am interviewing my aunt Dr Anita Jain for the Summer Wellness series. Do tune in to the entire episode because we touch base upon ways we can achieve a healthy lifestyle, on how we can incorporate small ways that can have a leading impact on our well-being, and how imbalance in one area of our life can lead to an imbalance in our overall wellbeing. In fact, we also discuss about how we can achieve an optimum level of wellbeing in each area of our life during the pandemic and under lockdown and also how binge-eating and guilt tripping are the major causes of an unhealthy lifestyle. So tune in and take with you all the important remedies/ suggestions from our expert Dr Anita Jain to kickstart your journey on wellness!!!

I am so excited to have Paola Cruz on my show today. Paola is a Honduran born and raised yogini. She has over 1000 hours of teaching experience. She has taught in the Central American Yoga Congress, is the Honduran representative for International Yoga Olympics India, and has collaborated with the Honduran Government in teaching at the International Yoga Summit and regional yoga events. Paola has been invited to host workshops at companies such as DHL, Avon, Intercontinental Hotel, Pepsi Honduras, and Nestle. Her formal yoga studies were completed in Om Shanti Om Yoga School in Rishikesh, India and she has taken over 200 hours of yoga related continuing education credits in USA and European based institutions. She trains and hosts events with a monk, she has taken Mindfulness related courses at Yale and Princeton, speaks four languages, and is very passionate about sharing what YOGA is about. She currently dedicates her time to running MINDIT. ZONE and her own yoga company, ONE YOGA from all corners of the globe. She has traveled to 48 different countries. One of her favorite activities is trekking. She has trekked in the Nepali Himalayas for ten days, in The Andes for 5 days in Peru, Tatras in Poland, PCT and Appalachians in USA, and anywhere she travels she tries to incorporate spending time in the mountains. 

In this episode, Paola and I talk about all things wellness! She takes us through her life journey and her journey with wellness where she completed 1000 hours of teaching experience in Yoga. She is one of the few yoga pioneers in her home city, San Pedro Sula. She is on the journey of consistently making an impact, small and big in the lives of so many people through YOGA. Tune in to the entire episode to know more about different dimensions of wellness, overall benefits of wellness, the impact of Yoga on mental health, how making small changes can lead to overall wellbeing with a focus on summer wellness and of course, with Covid being around the corner - how we can stay indoors and yet make the most out of the summer!! It has been an insightful conversation with Paola!!

To connect with Paola Cruz -

Paola Cruz - Founder of One Yoga 

Instagram - @oneyogabypaola

Website - www.mindit.zone

De-cluttering your space has proved to be an effective way to calm your headspace. Remember, extra stuff isn't just messy. It could be holding you back from living your best life. If the constant stream of things to pick up around your home leaves you feeling anxious, you're not alone. Objects have the power to do just that. In fact, when working couples gave tours of their homes, women who used more words describing clutter and disorganization also tended to show levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggesting chronic stress. On the flip side, those who described their homes as being restful or talked about their beautiful outdoor spaces were less stressed and reported less sad feelings as the day went on. What you can do: Set aside 10 to 15 minutes at the end of each day to put stray items away. How do you react to your clutter?  If you genuinely think, “I know where everything is and can be pretty productive in this space”, then you are probably okay with some clutter in your life.  But if you look around and start to question where things are, feel overwhelmed and panicked about the mess, or start obsessing about what visitors will think, you are negatively impacting your already anxious mind.  But don’t worry!  I got you. As a self-diagnosed “clean freak”, I share why it’s important to have an organized space, especially when you already struggle with anxiety, and clear action steps you can take to begin decluttering today!  You’ll clear your mind, reduce your anxiety and increase your productivity in no time!

Clean Up Your Space And Clear Up Your Mind: The process of decluttering can be extremely rewarding.  Getting rid of things that you no longer need actually leaves you feeling lighter and more spacious.  You might even feel like you can breathe easier!  A clean, organized environment means less distractions and leads to increased productivity.  And finally, it is an important way to practice self-love because you are taking back control of your “stuff” so that it no longer has control over you.  When you declutter your environment, it’s about creating a space that fills you with joy instead of living in one that depletes you. That all sounds great, but I bet you’re about to ask … “Where do I even start?  What if I don’t want to get rid of something? How do I know what to keep or throw away? What if I throw something away that I’ll need in the future?” And so on and so on. The entire de-cluttering process can get really overwhelming, so here's why you need to tune in to the episode today to find out some effective ways to de-cluttering, take help, and remember that you don't have to do it all alone!

This episode covers topics around maintaining Mental and Emotional Well-being under the Summer Wellness series for this month. There are so many activities that we can incorporate into our daily lives to maintain a healthy balance between our mind, body and soul. It becomes important to understand that 'who we are' has multiple meanings. These traits—which are all actually skills we can practice and develop—are all part of mental wellbeing: For example, self-acceptance, sense of self as part of something greater, sense of self as independent rather than dependent on others for identity or happiness, knowing and using our unique character strengths, accurate perception of reality, knowing that we can’t mind-read and that our thoughts aren’t always true, desire for continued growth, thriving in the face of adversity (emotional resilience), having and pursuing interests, knowing and remaining true to values, optimism (hope—the mindset that things can improve), happiness that comes from within rather than being dependent on external conditions, determination, action (in contrast to a passive mindset and lifestyle, waiting for things to get better).

People who develop and experience wellbeing also have what psychological researcher, Angela Duckworth, calls grit. Grit is comprised of passions and perseverance and means showing up for life. It’s a never-give-up attitude. Grit doesn’t mean never failing, for failure is part of success and life itself. Grit means getting back up when you fall. Together, all of this defines mental wellbeing. It’s purposely moving ever forward with determination and direction. One of the most important things to do on a monthly basis is ‘Ask Yourself Some Important Questions’

It’s about taking some time out and reflecting on where you are in life and what you want to focus on and release. Ask yourself:

What’s working in my life, and what’s not? What could be improved? Are there any relationships in my life that are not offering me value or joy? What is one bad habit that I feel ready to break? Are there any activities, events, routines, or tasks in my life that are not worthy of my time and attention?

What’s the biggest mistake I’ve made this year so far, and what did I learn from it? What do I really want? What obstacle(s) is in my way of achieving this goal?

As you go through these questions, consider any roadblocks that are keeping you from being where you want to be. Don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself in identifying where those roadblocks are coming from — whether externally or within your own state of mind. To know more about my work (Raina Jain) – Psychologist, Happiness Coach and a Podcaster   

Website: https://thehappinessprojectstudio.com/   

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raina-jain-73b615a5/  

Email: [email protected] / [email protected] 

Instagram: happiness_project1102

Summer is the perfect time to achieve your wellness and health goals, and form habits that make big changes, year round. Warmer weather and long sunny days make you want to get out of the house rather than sit on your couch and watch TV (except for when Bachelor in Paradise is on), and you have access to organic produce so fresh that they make salads actually “delicious” Getting healthy will feel as easy as lounging in a swan float by the pool (well, not as easy, but you get the point).

Since a majority of the last year has been spent at home, we have been resorting to comfort food, but also experimenting a lot. This includes grandmother’s favourite recipes, age-old cooking methods, the art of pickling, baking and last but not the least, innovations. From Dalgona Coffee to mug cakes, there is a lot that has been experimented as people were left with very little to do. Perhaps, that is one of the reasons why our social media feed is showcasing more and more people recreating recipes from their mothers’ cookbooks, donning their vintage-style aprons, baking their own bread, pickling salads in mason jars and preparing jams from scratch.

According to reports, summer 2021 will be hotter than normal, with the hottest periods in early and mid-June, early to mid-July, and early to mid-August. So it becomes even more important to take care of ourselves. It’s not just about getting fit physically but it’s about having a holistic wellness routine that will be the most beneficial. In this episode, I am going to be sharing a few things that I incorporate in my daily routine with respect to physical wellbeing. As and how weeks pass by, I will tap into all the other areas of my wellness routine from mental, emotional and the de-cutter!! I am super excited to introduce the ‘Summer wellness’ series that I am doing in the entire month of April. I am also going to share my personal journey (so do follow me on Instagram, my username is happinessprojectstudio – I would love for you guys to participate, tag along, ask questions as and how I go throughout the month with this journey.

So there are four categories that I am going to be focusing on –

1. Physical Wellbeing

2. Mental Wellbeing

3. Emotional Wellbeing

4. De-cluttering your space

The idea here is to keep it as personal and as raw as possible. And to remember that wellness is all about finding what works best for you.

With respect to Physical wellbeing, there are four things that I personally believe are important for me to get my physical well-being into place – Movement, Hydration, Going Colourful with Food and Sleep/Rest.

To know more about my work (Raina Jain) – Psychologist, Happiness Coach and a Podcaster   

Website: https://thehappinessprojectstudio.com/   

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raina-jain-73b615a5/  

Email: [email protected] / [email protected] 

Instagram: happiness_project1102