Happiness has been a big media topic over the last few years (and it likely always will be); it is the “holy grail” of life – who doesn’t want to be happy?  We tell ourselves “I’ll be happy when...my kids are older…I have more time…my business takes off…I get that promotion…I retire…place your happiness clause here.  Happiness is often framed as a future state, not something we are experiencing in the here and now, and that may well be because if we are thinking about our happiness at all its usually due to it’s absence.  When we are enjoying feelings of happiness we tend not to think about it, openly acknowledge it (we might “jinx it”), or really celebrate it…we may even take it for granted, which is why we feel happiness is something that is always available to us once the right conditions are in place.
 
Except that isn’t true.  Happiness (true happiness) is available to us without conditions.  Does this mean we will always feel happy?  No, of course not.  Happiness is a state that is always with us, but it cannot support us unless we unlock it through intention. It is important to acknowledge the intention we have when we experience happiness; as an example there is a world of difference between “eating a peanut butter cup” (something which I know makes me happy) and “enjoying a luscious dessert with family and friends” (also something that I know makes me happy).  Neither of these two activities is necessary for my well being per se (the caloric content and nutrition values alone make them entirely optional) but the circumstances under which I participate in those two activities will be entirely different and that is what I mean when I say happiness cannot support us unless we access it with intention.  I know if I am eating a peanut butter cup it is likely because it is available, I can do so quickly, I may be looking for a “quick hit” of something joyful and I am NOT sharing it with anyone (I am likely eating it in secret so I won’t have to).  Does that sound like “happiness” to you?  Me neither.
 
Eating a peanut butter cup (inhaling it, actually), or doing anything else for a cheap “hit” is not happiness, yet we make these trade-offs throughout our days and weeks to maintain or provide fleeting feelings of joy, self worth, pleasure, etc.  When we are doing something with the intent to be happy it is something that provides a path to happiness now and in our future.  Here is another example, logging in to your laptop at home to get on top of your working day rather than using that time to go for a walk (or to the gym, etc.).  Staying on top of your work has benefits, but work will always be there, it is a “Sisyphean” task (one you have to will do over and over again); cleaning up your e-mails will only make you feel better temporarily.  A walk, on the other hand, provides a mental break from work, fresh air, change of scenery and pace.  The physiological benefits of a walk will be with you for hours long after you are back at your desk and are cumulative if you choose to give yourself time for a walk each day.  Most of us can’t say that about time spent keeping up with our e-mail. 
 
When you break it down there are two different categories of activities we engage in to give us access to happiness; the “fast and cheap” kind and the “intentional” kind.  Think of them as “imitation” happiness versus “real” happiness.  I can think of many things I do for “imitation” happiness, some of them daily.  I work instead of going for walk (even when I have time for a walk). I propose eating out rather than making a more nutritious meal at home (and marginalize the quality of time I spend with my family because of it – “Yes! We want fries with that”).  I watch TV to “numb out” and I sometimes drink wine just to relax (rather than enjoying a glass of wine because I am already relaxed – big difference).  Happiness is something we access intentionally (sorry Hollywood, your plot lines are wrong) and happiness clauses are what we put in the way of allowing ourselves to be in the here and now, accessing what already is here for us and can make us happy (I’ll make a nice family meal when I have more time…).  Are you trading imitation happiness for the real thing?  It can affect your quality of life at home and at work.  No one likes to feel under-the-gun, anxious, stressed, frustrated, upset or some other energy-sucking emotion.  However, preparing a family meal with love (even if it is humble mac and cheese) and have everyone come to the table together will do far more for your happiness then squeezing off that last phone call at work.  Just because we can quickly access whatever we want to hold negative feelings at bay, from take-out to on-demand TV, doesn’t mean we are getting any happier, especially when these things are consumed as a way to escape something (rather than to celebrate or truly enjoy something). 
 
Real happiness is possible when we intentionally chose to engage in things that take time and effort (not just money) and that have a cumulative effect on our well being.  Going for walks, seeing family and friends, enjoying nourishing food with loved ones, making ourselves a priority (getting to the gym) and taking the time needed to put the “big rocks in first” (planning for our development and life, not just our “to do’s”) have a far greater impact on our long-term happiness.  So the question becomes not “are you happy”, but “what are you worth”?  Imitation happiness or the real thing?  What will you invest in to provide for your own happiness?

For those of you who follow my blog you’ll know there was a void these past few weeks…no blogs.  I was not following my own advice and allowing time in my day to be curious, objective, to connect or to question how I had prioritized my time.  I was so busy “doing” that I forgot to “be” and because of it I quickly lost touch with what to write.  It was stunning to me how fast this happened, resulting in my own inability to find intriguing topics, or the time to write about them.  In the past I could write a blog in multiple small segments throughout my week; no matter how busy I was I would carve this time out of the margins of my day…but that required me to get inspired by something I wanted to share with you.  Without time to explore or be curious there wasn’t much inspiration, hence no blogs.
 
The lesson here is that when we forget to nourish ourselves, a lot of things we contribute to and do begin to “starve”.  My blog was the first casualty, but with it also went some of my well being; I write a blog to share not because I have aspirations to be a writer (that job title is not on my “bucket list” even though I enjoy the process of writing immensely).  I blog to connect and share with others, to be of service (in a tangible way); my regular blog contribution is important because it is the manifestation of the attention I pay to what I am learning - it is proof I am “walking the talk” and living my values and beliefs through my work.  So when the blogs stopped coming I realized the problem wasn’t writers block, but something deeper.  Something that, left unchecked, would be very destructive to my well being and ultimately the enjoyment of my work.
 
My shift came one frustrating afternoon this week where I couldn’t be productive or get anything going.  So I clicked on a link to numb out and watch some coaching videos I subscribe to, and HELLO.  I learned from personal branding guru William Arruda that it only takes 9 minutes a day to do something meaningful to keep you moving forward.  At first I thought this guy was the President of the Raging Optimist Club.  But as it turns out he is right.  What can you do in nine minutes a day that is meaningful to you? 

• You can find and save the link to an article, video or podcast you heard about and want to check out.
• Read (or begin to read) an article or blog...or watch a short TED Talk or vlog.
• Initiate a coffee date or phone call with someone in your network.
• Download a podcast to listen to on the way to or from work.
• “Tweet” something or post an article link to your network on social media.
• “Like” something, or share something with your colleagues and network (e-mail or social media).
• Invite a work colleague whom you need to get know better out for lunch.
• Contribute to an on-line discussion forum for your profession (or start a discussion thread).
• Showcase your expertise/knowledge on your company’s internal wiki page.
• Sit in the coffee area at work and just listen to the conversations around you, appreciating the perspectives of others.
• Read a few pages in a good book.
• Go for a brisk walk.
• Meditate (if you are so inclined) or sit quietly and breath deeply.
• Practice the art of doing nothing, taking a complete break.
• Quietly listen to your own thoughts.
• Jot down the creative and interesting ideas you have floating around in your head.
• Start a group discussion (on-line or live at your place of work).
• Check out these awesome resources: http://www.chhr.ca/resources.html  

I gave myself 9 minutes and I wrote this list.  What would happen if you gave yourself 9 minutes a day?  What would be on your list?  We all have 9 minutes each day we can give to ourselves, when we don’t we are not living or working well.  Everyone can use time to take a beautiful deep breath; time to take back the pace of our day.  Time to “feed” ourselves, give ourselves some connection and “career fuel”.  In fact we know when we don’t do this for ourselves we are less effective, maybe even short tempered, tired and prone to make mistakes or forget important things.  For me the lack of inspiration to write was the proverbial ”canary in the coal mine”.  When that died it was time to examine what I am NOT attending to in my day and re-balance it before it crept any further into my habits and life (thankfully my e-mail subscription delivered, just in time).  As busy professionals and entrepreneurs it’s easy to say “later”, “tomorrow”, etc.  Except there is a cost to putting off the things that seem optional, but are in fact really critical items that allow us to be engaged and present for ourselves and others in our day.  So do the things that let you be your best self.  Leverage your potential by taking time just for you and in so doing love yourself in your work.
 
Take it from me, 9 minutes can change your quality of life (you are reading proof).