Happiness does not come from reaching the top of the mountain, or by reaching our goals…

…It comes from LOVING the journey and the process that gets us there.

It doesn’t come from realising we no longer need to change and grow…

…It comes from realising we CAN change and grow, and that is something to be EXCITED about.

Studies have shown that happier people become more productive and achieve more of their goals in life…

…Yet unfortunately, so many people believe in the myth that happiness is caused the other way around (that they must ‘achieve success’ in order to feel happy).

“I’ll be happy when …” is a dangerous statement to make. And it sets people up to go months, or years, without allowing themselves to feel happy.

And even when reaching the top of a mountain, the human condition is to feel elated for a moment…

…Only to then see that as the new normal, and now need to achieve the next goal to feel happy.

There are 4 main chemicals in the brain that influence our feelings of happiness…

Dopamine
Oxytocin
Serotonin
Endorphins

And each plays a different role in how we experience happiness.

Dopamine is what we feel when we enjoy striving for a goal.

Oxytocin is what we feel when we are being social.

Serotonin is what we feel when we are in a good mood. Interestingly up to 90% of Serotonin is produced in the gut, and is heavily influenced by what we feed ourselves.

Endorphins are associated with the fight or flight response, and are what helps push you through challenging periods in life, or with fighting towards difficult goals.