(minor Dr. Strange 2 spoilers if you keep reading.)
I went to see Dr. Strange 2 opening night.
And, I stumbled upon a life lesson that will boost your baseline joy each and every day.
Let’s get into it:
One of the recurring themes in the new Dr. Strange movie is about happiness.
Several characters throughout the film ask Dr. Strange if he’s happy.
And while he answers yes—and how couldn’t he? when he has the mystical powers of a god in his human body—the undertone for this answer every time he answers it is a resounding no.
Here we have the world’s best neurosurgeon turned the multiverse’s greatest master of the mystical arts, and yet he ain’t happy.
Reminds me of a platitude popular on Money Twitter:
“If you’re so smart, why aren’t you happy?”
Checks out.
Well, fast forward a couple o’ days, and I’m working on a podcast for a client, Bob Gardner.
This podcaster, host of the Alive and Free podcast, is one of my favorite humans on earth.
He attacks things like addiction, mental health problems, modern therapy, and even religion.
(He’s a former Mormon who realized he might not believe in any religion, but he’s not one of these agnostic/atheist scum who couldn’t tell the Bible from the Quran. Instead, he studies all religions, including new age religion and ancient religions. And comes to some startling and wise-beyond-description conclusions.)
Today, he leads men’s and women’s retreats. And he uses a revolutionary mix of Wim Hof breathwork, energy work, and the body to heal people from trauma they’ve had for decades.
Well, his most recent episode was about happiness.
His point?
Everyone misunderstands what happiness is.
It’s not tied to achievement.
It’s not tied to a certain income level.
And it’s not tied to any kind of external event — like getting a girlfriend if you’re single.
The only place happiness comes from?
Inside you.
Bob went on to say that pleasure and pain are two sides of the same coin.
The more you chase pleasure, the more pain you’ll feel come reap.
And vice versa:
The more you chase pain, the more pleasure you’ll feel come reap. (Sounds like the basic programming David Goggins has running in his software.)
Your brain has certain homeopathic processes in place, so it won’t tilt too much on the pleasure or the pain scale.
Which is why the goal isn’t to chase either (if you want to be happy).
Why?
Because happiness doesn’t come from external events. It doesn’t come from pain, and it doesn’t come from pleasure.
Happiness, instead, is more akin to freedom and wellbeing and peace.
Something Dr. Strange may or may not have achieved by the end of the film.
Which brings me to the point:
Are you happy?
It’s not as difficult as it seems. But it’s also not as empowering as you think either.
Happiness is subtle.
It’s not a feeling.
It’s a way of living.
And when you prioritize happiness your problems dwarf before you. You can even invite them in because you know problems can make you happier.
Anyway, maybe you got something out of this. Maybe you didn’t.
But if you understand what I’m saying, this might just be the most powerful lesson you ever cram into your psyche.
Now, onto bidness:
While I can’t make you happier, I can transform your “not-enough-sales-and-money” problem into a “too-many-sales-and-money” problem through email if we work together.
(Note: I didn’t say I will make your problems disappear, because they can make you happier…)
But—and this is a big, fat, ugly BUT—only if you have a proven offer and a decently sized email list.
If’n you fit the criteria, let’s chat.
Capisce?
Now, go unlearn what you know about happiness and re-read this.
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