“A steel drum’s purpose is to produce happy music – Your purpose is to Build a Happy Life.”
– the Old Pan Man
I am a musician who plays the happiest sounding instrument on the planet – the steel drum, a.k.a. “pan.” The quote above comes from my friend and mentor, who is affectionately known by all as the Old Pan Man.
Steel drums produce their happy music by emitting sound waves – “happy vibes” – that have the magical ability to lift the spirits of everyone who hears them.
If you’ve ever heard the happy vibes of a steel drum, you know what I mean.
But the Old Pan Man is right. It’s your purpose to build a happy life and share your happiness with others – we all share that same purpose. The problem is that sometimes we forget how to do it.
How Not to Build Happy
I once had many of the things that I thought would bring me happiness: I was married, living in a brand new house, and driving a new model car. I had two beautiful, young children and progressed well in my career as a CPA (“Certified Public Accountant”).
But I wasn’t happy – with the major exception of my two children – and I didn’t know why. As a result, I made a series of bad choices leading to two divorces, several job changes, and personal bankruptcy, all in a ten year period of time.
As I lay on my cheap, futon couch in my dingy apartment watching the ball drop in New York’s Times Square on television at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2000, it occurred to me that I didn’t have anything to look forward to in the coming year.
It was then that I realized that I didn’t know how to be happy.
How To Build Happy
I went to work reading everything that I could on the subject of personal growth and happiness. I’ve discovered that there are three major steps to building a happy life:
- Tune In through Self-Awareness
- Tune Up through Transformation
- Live In Tune through Self-Care
Self-Awareness
The first step is to develop a strong sense of self-awareness. To do this, you need to clearly describe the kind of life that you want to build. You need a personal vision. I’ve written about this in my post, “Personal Vision.”
Then ask yourself, “What attitudes and beliefs do I hold that help me or prevent me from achieving my personal vision?” These thoughts, good or bad, continually play in your mind and influence how you live your life. The key is to learn how to manage them.
Next, you will need to look at your current situation. What’s working or not working in your life? Answering these questions helps to look at each of the major areas or what I call “Notes” of your life, ex: relationships, health, financial, etc.
Transformation
The second major step is to transform your life into the life you want to build. Transformation leads to personal growth – be willing to stretch as a person.
Put your personal vision into action by mapping out your plan, setting priorities, cutting away the excess, and preparing for adversity. Work your plan while maintaining harmony in your life until you finish what you set out to do. Then celebrate our success!
Self-Care
The third major step is to Live in Tune. It’s a lifelong process. Just as a steel drum instrument’s notes go out of tune through use, life’s notes also do. The wear and tear of life can be managed through an intentional program of self-care.
It’s your purpose to build a happy life. You do this through self-awareness, personal transformation, and maintaining yourself through self-care.
Creative Pandemonium is dedicated to helping you Build a Happy Life In Tune with your true self. Future posts will discuss in-depth strategies to Tune In, Tune Up, and Live In Tune.
No wrong notes,
Mike
I hope that you have received something of value from this post. If so, check out “See the Possibilities.”
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