😃 How I Create Happiness in Hard

Good morning.

This week is hard. Adversity is hard. Building a meaningful life is hard.

When things are hard, it helps to find the hidden happiness.

Let’s get into it.

— Gordon

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😃 5 Ways I Create Happiness in Hard

Have you ever experienced something so hard that happiness seemed impossible?

I believe life's hardest moments are paths to happiness and personal growth.

Unfortunately, when things are hard, it’s easy to be blinded by frustration, pain, and suffering. We’ve all been there.

These feelings cloud our judgment, making seeing any positives in our situation difficult. We miss our hidden strengths and the lessons that adversity can teach us.

This negative spiral doesn't just rob us of happiness—it can lead to long-term stress, strained relationships, and a diminished sense of self-worth.

The more we fixate on the problem, the more overwhelming it becomes.

It's like being stuck in the fog with no clear path forward; each step feels heavier than the last.

See the strength in your grit, feel gratitude, and give yourself a little grace to put a smile on your face.

Your ability to (mentally) slow down, be present, and view the situation through a different lens makes all the difference in the outcome and what you learn.

HERE’S HOW:

1. Reflect on Challenges 🤔

2. Give Yourself Grace 🫶

3. Temp Check 🤒

4. Gut It Out 😤

5. Find Joy 🕺🏻

You can change your perspective and find happiness, even when things are hard.

Step 1: Reflect on Challenges 🤔

Recognize the strength and resilience you've shown.

Take a step back and reflect on the challenges you've overcome before.

Real estate transactions are often emotional, and there is always at least one difficult problem. When I feel overwhelmed and anxious about how I’ll solve the problem and the hard conversations I may have with my clients, I think back to college when I worked as a janitor at a bonded fiber factory on weekends—just me and my dorm roomie.

It wasn’t just collecting and discarding large sheets of fiber scrap and sweeping factory floors; it was using needlenose pliers to pick cotton covered in die out of industrial-sized bike chains. It was the worst.

Remembering how much jobs and situations like that suck makes having hard conversations and making tough decisions easier. I feel grateful that things aren’t so bad after all.

Reflecting on your past experiences helps you realize you've navigated tough times and can do it again.

This ignites your self-confidence and prepares you to tackle the suck with a positive mindset.

Step 2: Give Yourself Grace 🫶

Remember that it's okay not to have the answers.

It’s okay to stumble a few times while looking for solid ground.

Be kind to yourself and acknowledge that everyone handles hard differently.

Allow yourself to navigate challenges and learn from them without harsh judgment.

Giving yourself grace creates space for healing and growth, making it easier to find happiness amidst hardship… or hard 💩

Step 3: Temp Check 🤒

Pause for a temp check when it’s dark and hell is hot.

It's not that kind of temp check, though.

Determine how temporary it is.

Growing up dirt poor is hard for a long time.

Running a marathon is hard for a (relatively) short time.

Identifying and acknowledging the temporary nature of the situation helps reframe the challenge and creates confidence in your ability to overcome it.

Most hard things have an end date.

Focus on what you can control.

Charge the storm. 🦬

Step 4: Gut It Out 😤

Some moments require grit and perseverance.

Trust your inner strength when the problem is short-term and push through the discomfort.

Don’t get it twisted. “Gutting it out” doesn't mean ignoring your feelings; it means acknowledging them while continuing to push onward.

This determination can lead to personal breakthroughs and a more profound sense of accomplishment, bringing happiness in tough times.

Step 5: Find Joy 🕺🏻

Find joy buried in the hard.

It could be as simple as treating yourself to a cup of your favorite coffee, surrounding yourself with your (supportive) community, or taking a break to spend time with loved ones.

Go for a long walk and connect with nature. Touch grass, as the kids say.

I love long walks to think through challenges and running to unlock my creativity.

Maybe for you, it’s playing a sport you love or lifting weights. Get it! 💪

The little joys create happiness that will shift your focus from the negative and fill your cup with the energy you need to overcome your challenge.

Cultivating gratitude in these moments improves your well-being and helps you find happiness, even when things suck.

Finding happiness isn't about avoiding the hard parts of life—it's about discovering your strength within them.

Thanks for reading.

See you next week.

ONWARD TOGETHER.

Next Steps 👇

Whenever you're ready, here’s another way I can help you:

I help service-based entrepreneurs build content-enabled businesses to build trust at scale, dominate their local market, and create a life by design.

• Do you want to start a podcast and have no idea where to start?

• Thinking about launching a newsletter to nurture your database?

• Need a content strategy to fill your sales funnel with qualified clients?

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