In this episode, I've curated another 10 excerpts from my 100 episodes where my guests have shared about happiness – how little it takes to feel happy and more inspired. It's also amazing how short of a time someone can go from feeling anxious to feeling grateful, joyful, and truly supported the moment you take heed of your guiding light.
We're constantly told to appreciate the little things and be grateful. We're also told that happiness is within our reach. And so, I want to help you make happiness within your reach, especially during those hard moments.
Maybe you’re living in a humble New York City apartment with chipped paint on the walls. And then you’re seeing all those things on social media with everybody living big, glamorous lives. Or maybe you're reading or watching the news bringing about feelings of anxiety. Maybe you’re in a similar situation where you’re in a panic mode, and you don’t know how to break out from that feeling. Maybe you’re in the process of writing a book and you find yourself struggling with the editing. Then you go to a bookstore, look around the shelves, and wonder to yourself how all those books got there.
Any of those are moments of cognitive dissonance wherein what we see outside doesn't match with how we want to feel on the inside. It's in those moments that we need the tools to help us feel happier. Now, I want these tools to be truly available to anyone. That's why I've decided to pick 10 different podcast episodes where my guests have shared just how little it takes to feel super happy. I've also included a few tools you can try to feel happier and to be always in a position of gratitude, celebrating not only the big things, but also the little things in your life.
This has been such a rewarding journey to have interviewed guests from all over the world. Some of them are my friends all the way back from my college days. But there were also a number of them that I didn't know at all. Now, there is an art to how I approach any of them, and if you're curious about how you can network with practically anyone, anywhere in the world, consider being a Patreon.
Hopefully, you will learn to appreciate the little things available to you today. And if you do this intentionally, it can change your mood and turn your day around – or even turn your life around!
Highlights
Luis-Migual Carabello, Episode 13
Affirmations: As an artist, Luis Miguel likes to put his ideas on paper on post-it notes. Post all those notes around you with messages that nourish your soul and you’ll be surprised how happy you will feel.
Jenny Herbert, Episode 82
Awareness: You can feel happier by coming back to something more basic, such as making yourself an omelet, and pairing it with wine. Book author Jenny Herbert talks about how happiness comes from being in the present moment.
Crishon Jerome Landers, Episode 49
Helpfulness: You can feel happier by carrying around band aids in your bag, or jumper cables in your car, in case you run into an opportunity to help someone else. Look for those opportunities to help someone else and be ready for anything, not just so that you can save yourself in those moments, but even save someone else that you might encounter.
Katherine Young, Episode 52
Memories: Katherine has this love of scrapbooking and she does it for herself. She feels instant joy as she collects concert ticket stubs, concert photos, and other concert memorabilia. It is in the process of recollecting everything she has experienced that she's able to recapture that moment – making herself feeling happy twice for the price of one concert ticket.
Hans Reichstetter, Episode 12
Invention: Challenge yourself to have your own MacGyver moment. In your own life, there might be things that you use every single day and you might have an opportunity to make that product even better. Becoming your own inventor is super fun!
Gabriele Corcos, Episode 47
Music: You can feel happier by listening to music that lights you up and by feeding someone you love or who matters deeply to you. Gabriele shares that moment when he had to make a sacrifice and pick between his profession and his daughters.
Van Lai-DuMone, Episode 87
Creativity: Find something that's going to prime you for the art or act of creation. explains how creativity can absolutely prime you for more creativity. And in that process. You can absolutely do something as simple as sanding and repainting your windows. So believe that you can feel some bliss and use that moment to get creative and prime yourself for more creativity.
Jacques Slade, Episode 1
Simplicity: Be a creator in whatever you want to define it. You don't have to be an Instagram influencer or a blogger. You can create anything without necessarily having to show anyone else what you've created.
Sarah Spencer, Episode 80
Light: Do something as simple as grabbing a pair of scissors and paper in different colors. Think paper sketching. Sarah talks about not going in with a set plan, but just letting the product come to you. She did just that, and ultimately, she stumbled upon her own guiding light.
Raphael Rowe, Episode 89
Freedom: You can feel happier when you take a step back and relish in the fact that you are a free person and that you can control your life and destiny. You can build a home, you can go on a holiday, and you can make your own choices. Raphael shares what happened after he left prison.
Links to continue to learn from:
The 10 Episodes:
Episode 13: https://www.melissallarena.com/luis-miguel-caraballo/ Episode 82: https://www.melissallarena.com/how-to-plan-your-perfect-summer-travel-through-curiosity-and-wonder-with-author-jenny-herbert-episode-82/ Episode 49: https://www.melissallarena.com/crishon-jerome-landers-professional-dancer-founder-and-ceo-of-crome-talks-about-always-being-ready-and-seizing-opportunities/ Episode 52: https://www.melissallarena.com/how-to-find-inspiration-for-creating-viral-content-katherine-young-creator-of-the-girls-life-magazine-cover-meme-episode-52/ Episode 12: https://www.melissallarena.com/hans-reichstetter/ Episode 47: https://www.melissallarena.com/gabriele-corcos-talks-about-continuing-to-dream-technology-and-agriculture-and-why-its-never-too-late-to-change-episode-47/ Episode 87: https://www.melissallarena.com/van-lai-dumone-explains-how-creativity-workshops-can-increase-creativity-in-the-workplace-episode-87/ Episode 1: https://www.melissallarena.com/s1e1-jacques-slade/ Episode 80: https://www.melissallarena.com/how-do-you-leverage-creativity-to-reduce-anxiety-sarah-spencer-teaches-how-to-use-curiosity-and-imagination-to-find-sparks-of-joy-in-your-life-episode-80/ Episode 89: https://www.melissallarena.com/from-prisoner-to-presenter-raphael-rowe-gives-a-behind-the-scenes-look-into-the-netflix-show-inside-the-worlds-toughest-prisons/
About Melissa Llarena
Melissa brings a makerspace mindset that is laser-focused on creatively making space for courage for those with a big message to share with the world. A makerspace is a collaborative workspace with very different tools meant for making things fueled by active imaginations. In a makerspace, the goal is to inspire new creations. In Melissa’s program called Courage Makerspace ™ we are making space for courage in your daily life so that you can become an incredible thought leader who has the courage to connect, communicate, and create something incredible that will have an impact on the world.
What makes Courage Makerspace™ different is that it uniquely brings an interdisciplinary and creative approach to high-performance coaching. This online program is based on psychological principles, the art of storytelling, and incorporates proprietary experiential tools that harness the power of our imagination. Melissa has infused proven strategies and insights that have empowered clients around the world. Her background includes a psychology degree from NYU, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and she holds a Transformational Coaching Academy certificate based on Tony Robbins principles and Landmark Education insights. She is a native New Yorker who has lived/worked in Paris as well as London, and courageously relocated to Sydney, Australia with her family.
Want to be a COURAGEOUS thought leader who is fulfilling their life purpose?
If you intend to become a thought leader and have the courage to accomplish your life purpose faster than you've imagined possible, book an appointment with me in the next 24 hours. We’re going to assess where you are on this confidence journey, then we’re going to put our heads together and come up with a step-by-step game plan to define how you can rebuild your courage when you need it. Book this free session by going to http://www.melissallarena.com/sessions.
Want to continue the conversation?
Find me on Instagram! You can read my daily mini-blogs centered on the same three topics that my podcast features: creativity, courage, and curiosity. I believe that without all three it would be impossible to solve the challenges we were each uniquely made to solve. Wouldn’t you agree? I’m easy to find on Instagram @melissallarena
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Let’s connect on LinkedIn. I encourage every single podcast listener to connect with me.
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