{"id":2238,"date":"2012-07-30T16:46:53","date_gmt":"2012-07-30T20:46:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifewithhappiness.com\/?p=2238"},"modified":"2018-10-02T13:36:46","modified_gmt":"2018-10-02T17:36:46","slug":"paradox-of-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theexecutivehappinesscoach.com\/2012\/07\/paradox-of-happiness\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Live In the Paradox of Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Strong:<\/strong> having 1. bodily or muscular p<\/em> Yes, even as you “wear” your strongest, confident self, you are simultaneously at your most open and vulnerable.<\/strong> Last\u00a0<\/strong>month I took a big risk for me.<\/strong> As a requirement for a personal development program I’m taking, I created and ran a public workshop in which I invited people to engage in movement and dance as a way to connect to the wisdom of their bodies. Some of the people who showed up were there because they love to dance already. But many of the participants admitted to feeling very exposed, very vulnerable, and way out of their comfort zone. When you master the skill of being vulnerable, you simultaneously nurture your strength. So too, the more you practice happiness, the more you open yourself to the experience of other emotions. (read more)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5789,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,274,11,40],"tags":[30,385,386,387],"yoast_head":"\n
\nVul\u00b7ner\u00b7a\u00b7ble:<\/strong>1. capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt; 2. open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.<\/em>ower. 2. mental power, force, or vigor. 3. moral power, firmness, or courage. 4. power by reason of influence, authority, resources, numbers, etc.<\/em>
\nOn the surface, these appear to belong to different worlds, right?<\/strong> Let’s try something in your body. I invite you to actually do the following 2-step exercise before you read more of this newsletter:<\/p>\nDO THIS NOW:<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\nThis, then, is the paradox of Happiness<\/strong> – at the moments you are most connected and engaged and content and holding your personal power, you are also the most vulnerable and open to attack, to having your hopes dashed, to having your heart broken.
\nAnd that is why happiness must be a conscious decision.<\/strong> The moment you declare you are happy, you open yourself to the possibility of UNhappiness. The moment you declare yourself to be in control, you tempt the Universe to toss a hand grenade into your beautifully organized life.
\nWhat is the alternative?<\/strong> To hunker down. To never expose yourself. To protect your heart by closing it off. To never take risks. To never declare satisfaction or contentment.
\nIf you never open up, you can’t be hurt, right?<\/strong> Perhaps. Yet it also means you never stand tall, you cannot completely connect to your full strength, you can never win big because you only play “small.”<\/p>\nPUTTING MYSELF OUT THERE<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nIt went fabulously well (whew!).<\/strong> Because we each chose to open ourselves up to an alien and possibly embarrassing experience, through the paradox of happiness we discovered new strengths and new tools that will support us in our life and work.<\/p>\nEXERCISE: HOW DO YOU SHOW UP IN THE WORLD?<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nFor a day or a week, pay attention to what happens in your body and your brain when you encounter a situation you consider risky or with the potential to cause you harm.<\/strong> It might be a meeting at work, a coworker or neighbor who creates discomfort in you, or an encounter with a stranger or a new project or technology. Any of these can create a ‘fear response’ in you and cause a closing down that shows up in your body – and subsequently, your thinking.
\nWhen you notice this sensation, repeat the exercise detailed in the top of this newsletter:<\/strong> plant your feet, access your full height. Notice how, when you intentionally open yourself up you also access a different power and strength – both non-verbally and mentally.
\nThen take note of how differently that situation plays out, when you leverage the paradox of happiness.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"