I quit my job and set out on a journey to find lasting happiness.

Here are 5 secrets I learned along the way…

Our world is so focused on doing more and being more that we forget to talk about what it takes to find lasting happiness.
By
Doug Cartwright
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Posted on June 10, 2020
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5 Minute Read

A few years ago I was bottomed out. I was dealing with all of the unprocessed emotions from my dad passing away. 

I was in a job where I was making lots of money (that I was spending faster than it came in) and felt ZERO fulfillment. 

I was questioning the faith I was raised in and as a result questioning my entire existence.

The love of my life dumped me out of the blue. 

I was completely stuck and lost. 

The hardest part? I seemingly had it “all”. I already possessed all of the “things” in my life everyone equates with happiness or success. Things like money, status, cars, and expensive experiences — and they didn’t bring me any relief. I felt more miserable than ever. 

For the first time in my life, I genuinely did not see a way out. There was no light at the end of the tunnel and I felt utterly alone. 

Luckily, I held out hope. I gave things one more shot and explored a completely new thought — “What if I tried a completely different approach?”

“What if I stopped trying to control my situation?” And what if I stopped trying to FORCE the world to fit into my cookie cutter view?"

“What if I learned what it took to CREATE happiness so I could stop pursuing and acquiring “things” that were only making me feel hollow and MORE lost?”

In my sales career, I learned that success leaves clues… if you want to be a top sales rep, find what works and repeat the process. FOLLOW THE CHECKLIST. Rinse and repeat.

Following that proven truth, logically there had to be a checklist for creating real happiness too.

So I began my journey to discover that very checklist and what followed was inexplicably the most profound period of my life. 

The guy who couldn’t see past his darkness was now lighting his way. 

I can’t share the entire checklist in just one article, but I want to share FIVE secrets I learned along the way — hopefully, some of these resonate for you. 

SECRET #1: YOUR STORY HOLDS YOU BACK

But it also frees you. 

Our busy world has given us experiences that we have turned into “stories” that tell us how the world works, and what we need to have, do, or possess to have value and feel validated. 

Whether you realize it or not, there's a story you're telling yourself and it’s holding you back — those stories shape our beliefs and how we show up in the world. 

The path to healing isn't always easy... Not only does it take courage, but the awareness that the healing starts with YOU.

To KNOW yourself is to LOVE yourself. The longer you take to love yourself for all your chapters (past and present) the longer you’ll stay stuck in the wrong story. 

When you learn to rewrite your story, there is incredible freedom. 

SECRET #2: EXTERNAL VALIDATION IS TEMPORARY


Internal validation is lasting.

The more we seek outside validation the more lost we’ll feel. The feeling of not enough just will continue to intensify and become louder. 

The only type of validation that holds the power to fulfill is the kind that comes from inside. 

When you create your own opinions, back up your decision making, and stop seeking acceptance from others something incredible happens. 

You feel VALIDATED in more than just your actions but in your being. 

You start living in your power and trust yourself. And once you start trusting yourself, you'll be able to have the freedom and confidence to express and follow your talents.

SECRET #3: HAPPINESS IS AN INSIDE JOB


Instead of looking outside, look within. 

The truth is, nothing externally is going to bring you happiness. There’s nothing out there that will fill that void — trust me I tried.  

If we look within, we will tap into a deep well of never-ending fulfillment and happiness. If we look outside, any happiness we find will be short-lived

The truth is that we don’t NEED anything to feel happy. We can find immense happiness through learning to look INSIDE for peace.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the success you were striving for so much was just a byproduct of your joy?


SECRET #4: WE CAN BE IN THE MIDDLE

It’s ok to subscribe to more than one label.

We’re told that life is an either/or game: “You can be spiritual and follow your intuition, but you can’t be rich.” or, “You can be rich, but you can’t buy fulfillment.”

The truth is that we can exist in the middle — we can be spiritual, mindful, and have a deep sense of awareness AND strive for huge goals. It all comes down to where we find our fulfillment. 

It’s ok to be nuanced. It’s ok to be “spiritual”, practice yoga, and still drink beers on Saturday or watch The Bachelor on Monday night. 

SECRET 5: YOU WON’T DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE


Your purpose is CREATED as you move forward. 

Your purpose isn’t given to you, you create it by the actions you take every day and the choices you make. The secret of your future is hiding in your daily routine.

Purpose is crafted by daily practices, intentions, and the habits that bring out the best in us. 

We start to create our purpose when we decide to get in the driver’s seat — purpose will never be found in the passenger seat. 


But what if you feel stuck? 


After starting my company, The Daily Shifts, and launching my app I’ve been approached a lot by people looking for… something. 

I think most of the people I’ve been able to chat with — and most people on the planet — fall into 1 of three categories when it comes to “self-development,” changing, and growing. 

Category 1: No desire for change at all — nothing is wrong and nothing needs to change.

These are the people who are dead set on their path and aren’t interested in taking a detour. They’re not looking for insight or worried about their inner world and they might not even be aware that there is an inner world to think about. They focus only on what is happening in front of them and think they’re perfect as is. They do not seek support. 

Category 2: They want to change, they are actively working on it, and they just need help staying on the path. 

These are people who are aware that they’re not meeting their potential. They’re not avoiding their truth, its crystal clear to them. They’d like to dig deeper but the problem is they get easily distracted or discouraged from doing so. They need accountability and support to stay consistent with their journey.

Category 3: They truly want to change — something is missing and they want something bigger and better out of life but they have no idea where to start. 

These are the people who are feeling a call to change but don’t know how to answer it. They may even have a little anxiety about beginning. It feels too big to dive into and when they do begin they’re not quite sure what to do first. They need a clear path lined with strategies to get unstuck and on their way. 

I didn’t launch The Daily Shifts for the people in category 1, but category 2 and 3 are interesting to me because this is where I was. 

If you’re feeling like you’re having a hard time materializing the change you know you need to take OR you feel like you have the desire but have no idea where to start, I think this scene from The Matrix is a perfect lesson on what to do. 

I LOVE the Matrix. 

If you’re familiar with the storyline, Keanu Reeves is a computer hacker at the first of the movie. 

He wakes up one night after falling asleep at his computer and the words on the screen start talking to him: 

FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT. 

It’s a message to pay attention and follow the clues. He, of course, does follow the white rabbit, goes to a club late at night, meets Trinity, finds out he’s “The One” and changes the world forever. 

Notice, the screen didn’t say, “Here’s exactly what you need to do. Call this person, then this will happen, then press this button, etc, etc…”

That’s not how life works. 

It’s not about knowing the 20 steps you are going to take — it’s about paying attention to the clues and following the white rabbit ONE step at a time. 

As you take steps, the next step reveals itself to you at the right time. 

Strangely, these clues have brought about the biggest changes for me in my life. 

Following these little nudges has resulted in a series of those “In the right place at the exact right time” moments.

This exact situation might be one of those “white rabbits” for you. 

If you’re ready to follow the next clue, you should consider joining Shift My Life. 

Shift My Life is the MASTER CLASS on that happiness checklist we talked about. 

This program is a tool for you to apply to your life in a way that feels authentic to your goals! You’ll get tools to help you experience inner fulfillment so you can go through the day feeling FULLY alive.

What if you could find your true purpose and learn to love yourself as you navigate big life changes?

What if you could handle bumps in the road, setbacks, and big world events with calmness, stillness, and inner peace? 

What if your perspective completely changed from “why is this happening TO me??”

TO

“This is happening FOR me. I can make something out of this, I can learn and grow.”

What if you finally put those habits, routines, and practices into motion that got you centered and clear about your existence daily? 

What if you were perfectly content with the way you are right now? 

How would your life change? 

Would you feel more excited to be you? Would you go after bigger things in life? Would you be less stressed and more engaged?

This is exactly what Shift My Life is designed to help you answer. 

You’ll revisit your current habits, thoughts, stories, and learn to ENJOY this thing called “LIFE.”

This program is 10 modules designed to take you from UNSURE and UNAWARE to a place of CONFIDENCE and PEACE: 

Module 1: Where to begin?
Module 2: What’s your story?
Module 3: How to REWRITE your story.
Module 4: What is “SOURCE?”
Module 5: Create a relationship with source.
Module 6: Discover who you really are.
Module 7: How to show up in the world.
Module 8: Habits.
Module 9: Goals.
Module 10: The power of daily practice.

You’ll receive amazing bonuses when you enroll before the deadline too! 

If you’re considering it but you’re not sure, then I want to invite you to join my FREE training, REVEALED: 3 Surprising Roadblocks in the Way of Your Personal Success

After you go through Shift My Life, you won’t feel pressured to fill your life up with “things” AKA material items or inauthentic people and experiences. 

You will finally feel enough and you’ll realize you have enough. 

The truth is, you’re already in the middle of your journey — it’s started. I’m inviting you to simply change course and get a clue. 

I’m not some guru telling you what to do with your life, I’m an average guy who has been through ordinary things and created an extraordinary life. 

I want to guide you to start your own quest. I want to show you how to turn your pain into personal power.

So YOU can start reading your internal compass and navigate life fearlessly. 

So YOU can offer the world all your unique talents and gifts and grow in the direction of your purpose. 

But before I sign off, will you visualize something? 

What comes to mind when you read the following?  I REACHED MY FULL POTENTIAL.

What do you picture yourself doing, saying, and being? What does your life look and feel like? 

Sit with that vision for a minute. Mentally grab hold of the possibilities, and allow yourself a mini daydream.

Ok, come back to the page. Ask the question, "Why the hell are you selling yourself so short?" 

Your potential is not some distant faraway concept, it is INSIDE you. You formed this vision based on the capabilities you know you already possess.

You can bring it to the forefront of your mind, and you can feel it. 

You intrinsically know what it is for you but life is full of pain and you’ve painted over it begrudgingly. 

The tools you’ll get from ‘Shift My Life’ will help you take that vision and design a life that will actively engage and challenge you to make it a reality. 

You can stop questioning your efforts or existence and finally EMBODY your truth.

We’re cleaning up our mindset. Tearing down oppressive walls we’ve covered up with old stories, apathy, and self-doubt. Breaking down our barriers to love and happiness.

If I wrote this article the way I set out to, you’re feeling hopeful, excited, and maybe even a bit emotional. 

Don’t lose that steam. Take a risk before you let yourself choose regret. 

You can live a life filled with purpose, enthusiasm, and joy starting TODAY.

Are you ready to begin maximizing your human experience? 

Click here to join Shift My Life and get started.

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What better time than NOW to Shift Your Life?

Navigate the big changes in your life and learn to love yourself in the process.