Life Support Systems: Your Toolkit for Joy!

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Hello and welcome to this week's Choosing Happy Podcast.

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I apologize for the lack of podcast last week.

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Due to storms and power outages, I didn't get to record an episode.

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So we're up to episode 99, almost that 100 mark.

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So what I've decided to do for this episode is revisit the most popular episode in the Choosing Happy Podcast history, which has been a couple of years.

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And the most popular episode was about choosing your life support systems for happiness.

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In this, I take a deep dive into creating your own toolkit, your own bucket list, your own oxygen mask, if you like, on how to maintain your happiness, your joy, your resilience in an ever changing world.

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This and so much more in this week's Choosing Happy Podcast.

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Hello and welcome to the 99th episode of the Choosing Happy podcast.

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Choosing your life support systems for Happiness, Part 2.

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Now, in a world that is changing rapidly and is chaotic and is full of surprises, and is uncertain and unpredictable, it's a good idea to have a toolbox, a set of resources that you can simply use to keep yourself motivated, to keep yourself happy, to keep yourself focused on the positive.

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When there's so much negativity being shot at us from all areas.

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And of course, the first thing to do is to switch off the news.

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So when you're feeling down, when you're having one of those grey days, when we haven't seen the sun in a week, if you live in the uk, then how do we stay positive?

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How do we stay motivated?

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When the kids are shouting, when everything feels like it's falling apart, when maybe we've lost someone, how can we stay positive, stay focused, stay interested in life, interested in aliveness.

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My solution, something that's got me through some of the darkest times, is to have a turn to list of things that increase my happiness, increase my joy.

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I just take me out of things for a while so that I can recuperate, recharge, regain my energy.

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So let's start by understanding what I mean by life support systems.

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As I said, as we navigate through life's ups and downs, it's crucial to recognize that we have the power to choose a different state and to design our own support systems.

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And these systems can include practical strategies, fun things to do, emotional resources, spiritual practices that keep us grounded and uplifted and so much more.

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Anything that kind of anchors you back into a state of balance and joy.

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As Abraham Hicks says, you can't get there from there, so it may not be about moving you from being down in the dumps.

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To absolute ecstasy.

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That's not what we're after, but something that moves us in that direction.

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And that's really the key.

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Something that you know can shift you further up the scale to a higher frequency, a higher emotion, a higher perspective on joy.

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So why choose your life support systems first?

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Adaptability.

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In an ever changing world, having your own tailored support system allows you to adapt to new challenges.

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You create this support system for yourself.

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You know it works for you.

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And sometimes it can be something that once you've created it, you look forward to building it into your day.

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Now, the other reason is it creates resilience.

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Building a strong foundation of resources helps you bounce back from setbacks, whether it's small setbacks or larger setbacks.

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So let's get started on creating your happiness toolkit.

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Now, when I originally did this, I made it really simple.

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There's a download to go with it, with a list, a whole list of exercises and choices that you can make in creating your own support system.

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And one of the things that I didn't really go into is the mindset piece.

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In terms of values.

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I've been asked on a number of occasions to explain how motivation works.

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A motivation is based very much on our values and our identity and values levels.

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So that's a whole different episode, and I've covered that previously.

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But if you want to stay motivated around something, it is crucial to understand where you spend your time and what's important to you.

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Why is it important?

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Because those are your values that will uncover your values and your deep unconscious values will drive where you spend your time.

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So sometimes we can force ourselves to try and keep to those New Year's resolutions.

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But if what we are trying to achieve isn't part of our values, then it'll always come down the list and we'll potential to fail unless we change our values and make that so much more important.

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Really have a think.

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If you want to stay motivated with something and you're getting frustrated with yourself for not staying on track, have a think about your values around the thing you're trying to do.

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How important is it really to you?

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So one way to do that is, for instance, if it's fitness and you're getting up every day and going to the gym, but it's hard work and there's so much resistance around it, have a think and ask yourself, how important is it to you?

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What.

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What's coming up that's supposedly more important?

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What is your unconscious mind saying to you that you should be doing instead?

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Other ways to begin crafting your life support system is to take a moment to reflect on what brings you joy and comfort.

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Here are a list of things that I've brainstormed if you like to help you think about your approach and to help you identify and compile your resources.

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What do I mean by resources?

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It can be anything.

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So for instance, the first one is music.

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Creating a playlist filled with songs that inspire or energize you.

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Include theme songs.

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And what do I mean by a theme song?

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I choose a theme song maybe monthly or weekly.

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So it's one song that I know that I can anchor in to listen to at the beginning of the day that I kind of identify with and motivates me to be positive and strong and step into who I am.

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And you can create your own theme song.

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You probably already have one.

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A song that you play and you feel immediately lit up.

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It kind of sparks your energy.

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It's one of those that maybe you want to immediately get up and dance to.

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You can create your theme songs by finding a song, finding some music that motivates you and playing it at a specific time with a specific intention.

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Include other motivational tracks, other feel good tunes, and sometimes even relaxing tunes.

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It doesn't have to be feel good.

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If there's just a time that you want to decompress and you want to let go of of everything and recalibrate your energy, then choose some relaxing tunes as well.

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Meditation and mindfulness so, so important to be able to step into that third position and just observe especially when things are going wrong, so that we can disconnect for our thought from our thoughts and and remember that our thoughts aren't us, our thoughts aren't real.

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We create our thoughts, not the other way around.

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And that we can change our state and change our thoughts by using meditations and visualizations or mindfulness practices that resonate.

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I personally aim for two sessions a day, one in the morning and one to help me calibrate in the middle of the day to reconnect and come back to center nourishments.

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Think about food and the foods that you take in and not just that, think about when you eat and the effect that food has on you.

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So for me, I've taken on the habit of intermittent fasting and I find my energy is much higher for much longer.

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I don't eat until maybe 1pm in the afternoon.

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I don't have that morning tiredness feeling.

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I feel quite energized and I get a lot of work done first thing because of that.

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So think about Foods that energize you.

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Think about foods that make you feel good.

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Actually become mindful of the effect of food on you and make sure that the right foods are available to you for those days that are feeling, you know, where you're feeling down, maybe, or things are getting tough.

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For visual inspiration, gather photos, quotes and affirmations that uplift you.

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So I have affirmations and quotes that really make a difference to me, and I've got them stuck on my desk.

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And one of them, for instance, is just simply that the universe always says yes.

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And it reminds me that where my focus is is what I'll actually receive.

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And it's not just focus consciously, it's what unconsciously I'm focused on.

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There isn't a negative.

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If I'm saying to myself that I don't want to focus on fear, then I'm probably focusing on fear because it has to come from fear for that statement to be available.

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So turning it around and saying I'm focusing on fun has a completely different energy and intention behind it.

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So be careful of those visual inspirations and make sure that the energy, the intention, and the words are positive.

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Focus.

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Another visual inspiration is to create a vision board or album.

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For easy access, you can create a physical vision board.

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And in doing that, that really helps because you're engaging, engaging all of you.

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You're physically creating something as well as visualizing it.

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You're making it real, you're creating it into reality in some way.

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Another way to do it is to technically do it and create a vision board for your screen.

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If you're sitting at a desk all day with a PC.

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And another way as well is to mentally visualize your vision board.

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Include it in your meditation so that you'll have your your life choices if you like that you go through each day.

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You can also have a group of books or text or literary escapes.

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10 inspiring non fiction and 10 uplifting fiction books that you love.

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And then keep them within reach for for moments where you just want to escape from what's happening and rebalance.

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It's a good way to shift your mind from negative thoughts, especially some of the the non fiction books you know, whether it's Abraham Hicks or something like that, that really can change your focus and energy.

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And from there, identify 10 podcasts or audios that will leave you feeling inspired or energized.

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Whether it's audiobooks, whether it's short readings of EMP and inspiring pieces of text, whatever it is, choose something auditory as well that you can listen to if you're driving and you can't do anything else, then you have that audio in the car to help empower you and move you forward, whether it's Tony Robbins or some other motivational cd.

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Bob Proctor, for instance.

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Listen and allow yourself to let go of any judgment and take in the motivational words.

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Empowering Memories if you're finding yourself in a downtime, write down some of your most empowering moments or memories.

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Journal and revisit them when you need to.

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In addition to that is writing down 10 things that you love or five things that you love, or even just thinking of five things that you love and allowing yourself to feel, to really visualize and step into that moment of what you love.

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So for instance, if it's your children, really embrace that feeling of love and visualize being with your children, playing with your children, loving your children.

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Even think about your wardrobe and identify clothes that make you feel confident, happy, beautiful, and wear them regularly instead of saving them for special occasions.

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And even if you're down, go put on a Christmas jumper or something that inspires you and lifts you up.

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Physical activity.

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Now, physical activity has been scientifically proven to make a difference to your mood.

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You can't really be down if you're dancing full out.

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So choose physical activity to change your state.

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Even doing the Superman pose.

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If you've ever watched any of Tony Robbins doing two minutes of a superhero pose that's standing straight in a power stance with your hands on your hips, two minutes of that can change your state, can raise your energy and put you in a physically powerful state.

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Never underestimate the of physical state change.

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That actually is the number one thing that can get you out of a down state.

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So think about dancing, think about the power state, think about walking, and think about incorporating them into your daily routine.

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I've started doing the power state every morning and at lunchtime as well.

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After lunch, when I come back to start work again.

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And not only do I step into the whole feeling and and the whole physiology, I also take that time to visualize the rest of my day going well.

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Choose joyful pastimes, hobbies that you absolutely love and that bring you joy, and schedule time for each of them.

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Things that you might have given up that he loved doing when you were a kid, put them into your day.

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Start doing them.

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Whether it's baking, whether it's doing jigsaws, whether it's art, whether it's writing, whether it's playing with your pets or playing with your children, build it into your day.

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Create some childlike space.

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And once you've established your initial list, consider some additional categories.

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Your favourite drinks drinks that bring you comfort.

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So for instance, every now and again I'll have a hot chocolate.

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You know the full works hot chocolate just because it makes me feel comfortable and that reminds me of special treats when I was a kid.

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Pull out treasured items, things that have special meaning for you, that remind you of positive memories and feelings for laughter and humor.

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Try and set aside a few minutes each day where you actually take the time to laugh.

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Compile sources of laughter, favourite TV shows, comedians, funny stories, funny memes.

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Even if it's watching cat videos for 10 minutes a day.

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If it makes you smile, then build it in.

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Write down people who uplift you.

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Visualize spending time with them.

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Or if you have mentors that uplift you again, like Tony Robbins, write them down and watch part of a video, even if it's five minutes, just to change that state.

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List places you'd love to visit and why they inspire you, why you want to go there, what's beneath the visit.

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So for me, at the moment, I would love to visit a warm beach somewhere because of the sunshine, because of the peace and quiet, listening to the waves, just being able to relax there and let go.

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Finally, one of the big things you can do is to identify challenges you'd like to tackle outside your comfort zone.

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So goals you want to do.

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Whether it's doing something like eating on your own in a restaurant, abseiling, whether it's doing something that you've just never done before, making a birthday cake for someone special, whatever it is for you, write it down and and set a goal.

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Set a time for you to do it.

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And also remember to celebrate for all of these Remember to celebrate.

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Remember to train your unconscious mind in joy and celebration.

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Creating your life support system is an empowering journey that encourages joy, self reflection and intentional living.

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By taking the time to identify what brings you joy, happiness and comfort, you build your own personalized toolkit ready to support you through the days that maybe seem a little bit darker, through life's challenges and surprises.

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And remember that the goal's not just about survival, but thriving in happiness.

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So embrace this process as a fun exploration at what makes you feel alive, healthy and fulfilled.

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I wish you absolute joy in working through this practice.

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There is an ebook to go with this episode.

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I've rewritten the one from the first episode and I shall include that in the show notes.

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I hope you've enjoyed this episode.

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I hope you take the time to create your list because we are in uncertain and unusual times and I know that having my own toolkit has helped me thrive, and I wish the same for you.

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Have an amazing week and thank you so much for listening.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week's episode.

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If you enjoyed it or think it would be valuable to others, please do share.

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And if you really enjoyed it, please leave me a review.

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It really helps the podcast.

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All of the links are in the show notes and I look forward to seeing you next week on the Choosing Happy Podcast.