My name is Sean. This is my first post and the beginning of what I suspect will be a life long journey. There's a reason I'm sharing this with you which will become apparent shortly. But first, a little about me to help you know where I'm coming from.
I consider myself fortunate and I have many positive things in my life.
- I'm healthy.
- I have a great relationship with a loving partner.
- I have good friends.
- I am financially secure.
- Both my parents are alive and live nearby.
- I work for myself and work flexibly on things that interest me.
- I have several hobbies which I'm able to pursue.
- I get to travel reasonably regularly.
- I'm university educated with a degree in psychology.
- I have many choices and options in my life.
- I live in a nice home.
- I'm safe and free from threat and danger.
I'm aware that a staggering percentage of the worlds population would consider themselves fortunate to have just one or two of these things... in some cases just one. And yet, despite all these things I suffer from a malaise. A constant questioning and second-guessing of my purpose, an undercurrent of dissatisfaction with my life. And the scary thing is.... I'm not alone.
In my work I offer coaching, consulting and facilitation services to individuals and organisation seeking greater engagement. That is the connection between an individual and the work they do. There is a lot of merit to being engaged by the work you do. If you're not, then I'd encourage you to read on. Some of what I'm going to share with you may be of benefit. If not for you right now, maybe later.. or perhaps for someone you know?
Over the past few years working with people on engagement I've made some observations.
- Engagement at work is not always about work.
- High expectations often lead to disappointment.
- People often have unreasonable expectations.
- Lack of clarity contributes to dissatisfaction.
- Abundance of opportunity makes it harder to choose.
- Many people are not as happy as they'd like to be (especially ay work).
- Self help books often create more pressure than they relieve.
This blog is about my experiences in putting into practice many of the practical and applied techniques I've been reading about and researching. I plan to share with you what works and what doesn't. I will talk about the challenges to the exercises and will invite contributions from you on how to overcome them. I also invite you to share your experiences with me.
Make no mistake. This blog is about my experience (dare I say 'journey'...). Take from it what works, chuck out the rest. By committing to regular posts I'm using you to hold myself accountable. I know that knowledge is one thing. Application of knowledge is something else entirely. I know that I will not get to maximise my personal happiness without application.
Buddhism suggests that our purpose is the pursuit of happiness. They reason that happier people are more likely to help others. They will be healthier and less burdensome on the planet, and in order to be happy will likely live a life in closer alignment with many Buddhist principles.
I'm hoping that as I work on my own personal and psychological development, that my example may inspire or help others. Time will tell....
Until next time,
Be Happy
