Happiness is Simple, Simple is Hard.

It has been well studied that a life of purpose creates a sense of wellbeing. Living in alignment with ourselves reduces stress and anxiety and strengthens relationships. In doing so, this purpose can reduce the need to rely on emotional crutches and excesses that help get us through the day. While it may be common to believe that shopping, scrolling, drinking, smoking, mindless eating, and a host of other “harmless escapes” are what get us through the day; the truth lies in cutting the clutter and simplifying. 

“What is my purpose?” is a big question that can feel daunting and impossible to answer. We can get closer to our personal truths when we turn towards them. We are not inventing new truths within ourselves, but rather acknowledging and accepting them in our daily lives.

As a way to declutter our commitments, I offer you one question to pass over all your tasks. “Why?” Use it like a sieve to distill what is really important to you:

Task: Time to take my daughter to Gymnastics. 
Why? Because we committed to weekly classes.
Why? Because movement is important.
Why? Because it strengthens our bodies and minds.

As you repeat this meditative “Why?” over and over again, you may see themes emerge. For me, it’s no surprise that I make a lot of my choices centered around movement, health, and wellness. I know my purpose is to promote whole body health. Living authentically within those choices reduces my stress and makes tasks easier to complete. The 9:30 gymnastics class on a Saturday morning is not ‘one more thing that must get done’ during our precious weekend. It’s a precious opportunity for my daughter to strengthen and move in a way that our city living doesn’t typically allow. 

Time is an optical illusion. The decade stretching out in front of us looks impossibly long. 2030 is forever away and we can’t imagine the world we will live in then. The decade behind us flew by in a flash. I look back at my 25 year old self and can’t believe how much life has gone by.

None of us arrived where we are by accident. Where you are now versus 2010 was created by 1,000 little choices for 3,650 days. What choices will you make in this new year to build toward your health and happiness in 2030?

Yours in Service,

Dr. Carly