Get out of the hamster wheel
In all the decisions we make in life, two basic emotions are of particular importance: fear and love.
And in all our activities, plans, and visions, we always desire something like happiness or to be happy. In my coaching sessions, career or relationship goals are often linked to the desire to be happy.
That means when we have the new job, when we have found the right partner, when we get the pay rise, when we have finally become self-employed, then yes, we will be happy.
And in the pursuit of great happiness, we miss out on small happiness.
What is a happy life?
And what is a happy life other than a series of happy moments?
As I write these lines, I am sitting in a Moroccan garden at night and am amazed that the birds are chirping even in the dark.
I have been working full-time and independently as a coach for professional fulfillment since 2014. Over 4000 coaching sessions have covered the topics of leadership, career reorientation, relationships, starting a business, love, and career.
What do I lack to be happy?
But essentially, all the coaching sessions revolved around the same question: How can I be happy? Why am I not happy? What do I lack to be happy?
Of course, there are already a large number of happiness guides. The path to happiness can be viewed from very different perspectives. The question of what makes us happy is assessed and answered very differently by economists, philosophers, physicians, sociologists, clergy, capitalists, socialists, women, and men.
No method is valid for everyone
One thing seems certain, however: there is no universally valid way or method for finding or creating happiness.
Philosophers have been concerned with the question of what constitutes a happy life for more than two and a half thousand years.
What amazes me is that we enlightened modern people actually know so little about how to create a happy life for ourselves. How is it possible that we do so many things and strive for so many things that clearly make us unhappy?
No subject "happiness" in school
How is it, I wonder, that we still learn Latin in school, but happiness is not on the curriculum?
When my wife suggested we take a sabbatical in 2019, I was initially very hesitant. My self-employment as a coach had just begun to prove financially viable. I had many concerns about whether it would be possible to coach people online.
And then the coronavirus crisis hit in 2020. And with it came a major paradigm shift. Suddenly, everything was possible online. From working from home to online coaching. Eventually, coaching sessions via Zoom, Skype, or Teams became the norm.
The Art of Happiness 2
This gave me the opportunity to travel with my wife and work as a digital nomad for 2021 years since 2. In addition to many online coaching sessions, I used the time for a video blog titled in “The Art of Happiness”
In fact, our trip was one of the most beautiful things I have ever done in my life.
And I warmly invite you to follow this journey on our YouTube channel. There are already more than ten short films, each between five and ten minutes long, that explore our journey on the one hand and the topic of happiness on the other.
In conclusion, I can already say today that I am personally much happier than I was when I was still trapped in the hamster wheel of recognition.
And so, through this journey and the courage to step out of the hamster wheel, I have come a giant step closer to my personal fulfillment.
We have since returned to Offenburg in July 2023. Our offices are now geared toward personal coaching sessions again. Honestly, I'm shocked at how expensive life in Germany has become.
But what scares me even more is the omnipresent whining... about the bad government, the poor prospects, the excessively hot temperatures, too much or too little rain....
To be honest, we met a lot of people who knew far less prosperity, freedom and security than we often take for granted in Germany... but nevertheless, we were welcomed warmly and the little that was available was shared with us generously and with joy.
Happiness simply increases when you share it. And yes... we attract... what we radiate.
Time-out coaching
The questions "What is my personal path to happiness?" and "How can I successfully change my beliefs on this topic?" are usually an integral part of our coaching sessions.
Among other things, we also offer specific time-out coaching, which involves preparing and planning a time-out for companies, employees and the self-employed.
We do this pragmatically, but also with regard to the mental requirements for such a trip. Simply arrange a free initial consultation.