Category: Prioritize Happiness

There is no single journey to discovering pursuits that excite and energize you. It is, however, your deep and profound responsibility to discover these pursuits and push towards them. In the end, prioritize happiness. It is the only thing that really matters.

The only requisite is to find activities that give you a state of flow. That bring joy to your life, where time disappears and a sense of satisfaction in the journey and the end result is profound.

For those of us not born knowing our life’s goal, this is a difficult task. It’s a task I still struggle with. But one I am fortunate to pursue.

There are a few ways to help you on this journey to prioritize happiness. I do find reaching a sense of balance in the rest of your life, while not necessary, certainly helps. Having a sense of financial stability and independence and lack of attachment to tasks and things that don’t add meaning to your life give you a strong foundation. The desire to optimize your physical and mental health, and a drive to be balanced in all areas of your life and keeping yourself curious helps you stay energized and engaged in your world.

And these things that bring you passion and joy don’t have to produce, in the typical sense.

Spending quality time with your family and friends gives many a deep sense of joy. Not stressing out about things that won’t matter five years from now can bring a sense of peace. Living a life that is authentically yours, not something you think others want you to be, is a true source of happiness.

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Presence is the Best Present During the Holidays

Use this holiday season to make some meaningful memories of your own! Whether from a lovely dinner celebration at home or from a thoughtful handmade gift.

I rarely remember the gifts I received during the holidays. But I always remember who I shared the holidays with, the games we played, the activities, meals, and laughter we shared.

This year presents more of a challenge than years past for the holidays. With lockdowns, curfews and social restrictions, most of us will not enjoy the traditionally large family gatherings. Personally, this has meant not travelling to visit family in other states. We typically try to visit California or Ohio during the holidays to see our respective families. That said, I do appreciate the opportunity to enjoy our tiny family right here in Central Texas, as this is the first year in many that I’ve celebrated Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas, and New Years Eve right here in Texas.

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Habits That Make Me Happier | Q4 2020

Building habits that enhance your intentions can add happiness to your life. Here's a look at habits that made me happier in Q4 2020.

In the pursuit of a life that’s just one percent better everyday, I like to reflect on how I spend my time daily and tweak when needed. Time is that ultimately precious resource, and I want to make a conscious effort not to waste mine. So every few months I take a moment and reflect on what is and is not adding value to my life, and adjust as needed. While this is typically an exercise done in solitude and only shared with close family, I enjoyed sharing these habits back in September. Re-evaluating my goals and supporting habits publicly is a bit daunting, but the benefit of sharing habits that make me happier is worth it.

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Life After Financial Independence | How to Cope

Life after financial independence has its ups and downs. Here's how to cope with the emotional stages of FI

I wasn’t really prepared for life after leaving the rat race of my corporate job. My exit came a couple years before I planned due to a toxic work environment, and the realization that I actually had enough passive income to get by. Life after financial independence has had its ups and downs for me. And there’s a lot that no one really warns you about. Coping with Financial Independence came in stages for me, stages that may or may not be the same for everyone. But worth sharing.

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Build a Fun and Frugal Halloween Costume Capsule Wardrobe

Halloween is different this year, but we can still enjoy building a Halloween costume capsule wardrobe to enjoy for years to come!

Halloween is different this year. Trick-or-treating is pretty much cancelled, but that doesn’t mean we have to abandon all Halloween fun. Instead of having people over for dinner, board games and scary movies this year, we’re keeping it low key. Only a few people will join us at home for a simple dinner and board game. Halloween costumes are optional. And while this might not feel like the best year to celebrate Halloween, it got me thinking about Halloween costumes, and how we can enjoy the fun in dressing up without breaking the bank. Enter the Halloween costume capsule wardrobe.

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Habits that Make Me Happier

Think habits are boring? Building the right routine and habit can increase happiness and add excitement to life!

Confession: Inside of my head, there is a rebel teenager with a touch of angst sitting on one of my shoulders. She mocks the typical, embraces the extremes. She definitely doesn’t like being told what to do, and most certainly shuns routines. Routine is boring, and life is too short for that. To her, routine and boring are in conflict to excitement and happiness. Imagine her surprise when she sees evidence that routine and habit can increase happiness!

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Socialize on a Budget Like a Bad Ass

With some creativity, you can turn expensive day-to-day entertainment expenses into frugal social activities and socialize on a budget.

Spending and socializing are pretty synonymous in our culture. The entertainment budget category for most households is just under the three big ticket items: housing, food, and transportation. Eating out at nice restaurants, drinks at swanky bars, movies at the theater, concerts, amusement parks, and the mother of all entertainment… vacations! These experiences are a blast with friends. But they are hell on your budget. When getting control of your finances, this entertainment category can be one of the biggest hurdles. But you don’t have to be a hermit to go down the path towards financial independence! With some creativity and shifting of your mindset you, too, can socialize like a bad ass on a budget!

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Embrace Boredom and Uncertainty for a Well-Rounded Life

We can find our passions and a well-rounded life. Just embrace boredom and uncertainty, and lean into a happiness.

“I wouldn’t know what to do with myself on a sabbatical”

I was speechless when these words came out of my co-worker’s mouth. We were discussing our company’s sabbatical benefit, offered after seven years of employment, and I was still reeling from their recent decision to cut it. At the time, I had two options in mind for my “now-never-to-be” sabbatical. He, apparently, had none.

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Stuck in the Past | The Happiness Killer

Life is too short to get stuck in the past. Let go of the past, make today awesome, and start building an amazing tomorrow!

One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn in life is knowing when to let go of relationships. And, like most lessons, it’s one that I’ve had to learn more than once. One of the biggest reasons I’ve let go of relationships is simply because we outgrew each other. Or we started going in separate directions in life. And most detrimental, one person is stuck in the past, holding onto a life or time that is no longer there, while I am trying to move forward.

Recently a group of old friends from high school created a group chat trying to get the group together that weekend. It didn’t go well. Several friends have families with hectic schedules, and a three-day-notice is just not enough. Others live in other cities ranging from one to five hours away (Texas is big, y’all!). The elephant in the chat… a couple of these friends clearly had not moved on in life. And it was a little sad.

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Prioritize Happiness | The Only Thing That Matters

Do what you love and prioritize happiness. Prioritize what really matters

“I wish I had let myself be happier.”

“I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”

“I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

“I wish I had the courage to express my feelings.”

“I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”

The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying ~ Bronnie Ware

Some people are born knowing what they want to do in life.

They hone in on their life’s calling at a young age, without question. Nothing can stop their pursuit of their unique contribution to this world. There is no question about what they should major in, what job they should take, what their five- and ten-year career plan will be. They already know, the only question is how to get there.

I am not one of those people. My admiration for these passionate souls is deep.

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Real Estate Investing and Corporate Nonsense

Real estate investment gave me the freedom to leave a toxic corporate boss.

I had almost no idea what I was doing during my first real estate investing experiment.

Worse, I didn’t know how little I knew at the time. If I did, I may not have dived in as quickly as I did. And for that, I’m grateful.

After some cosmetic renovations, I moved into my unit in an owner-occupied triplex. Immediately some maintenance requests came up. And questions about paying rent. Oh, and one unit’s lease was coming to an end in a couple of months… how would I find a lease!?

I thought the hard part of real estate investing was behind me. Turns out, managing a rental property is a whole other skill set. And I had barely scratched the surface.

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