Episode 102 – Logan Browning On Expanding Your Happiness
TL;DR | In this episode Stacy talks to the incredibly wise Logan Browning about gratitude being the true prelude for happiness.
There came a time, (somewhere between 2017-2018) where I realized happiness wasn’t a given. I was heartbroken to find this out. It isn’t that I didn’t know that there were good days and bad days — of course and I have had plenty of both. It was more of the realization that there would be days that I would not be able to put on happy and perform for other people. If I wasn’t feeling it, I couldn’t fake it and that felt terrifying. I would tell myself, “people need me to be happy! I need to snap out of this!” (why do we think that?!) Cut to a few months later — Logan and I were having an impromptu FaceTime call and we met so beautifully at the intersection of happiness and truth (more about this in the episode). The truth is happiness can’t be performed, it can’t be manufactured and when it is present — it won’t always stay. It doesn’t matter how successful, rich, popular, or whatever we use to outwardly assess our happiness, happiness is not a guarantee without gratitude.
Another part about down days, in addition to the opportunity to connect to gratitude, is being vulnerable enough to connect to community. Who benefits if you perform happiness? Think about it. You certainly don’t and in the long run, no one around you does either. But the willingness to let down our guard to express our pain, not only always for deeper relationships, but it’s like giving out invisible permission slips for people to do the same thing — to just be. In all forms, in all moods, and still be worthy (another lesson I learned heavy in 2018).
I’m excited for you to check out this episode. I hope you share it with your circle and invite each other to meet at the intersection of the truths you are afraid to face and give each other the permission to be worthy, anyway.
SONG OF THE EPISODE | “HAPPY NOW” by pentatonix
BOOK OF THE EPISODE | The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Watch the Video Interview
“Everyone can be happy, but it is something we have to seek out.”
EPISODE 102 REFLECTION QUESTION
QUESTION | Who benefits if I perform happiness?
STACY’S REPLY
Whew!! So the reason I asked us to all reflect on this question is because it is necessary to check ourselves and our actions. For me, I have made decisions for other people swearing it was worth it because at least “they are happy” the truth is, this cup dries up...and then no one is happy. Not you, not the people in your life you are serving, no one. No one benefits from this performance. It may seem okay for a little while but it never lasts and usually all you are left with is resentment. We have to be willing to acknowledge, and feel through all of our feelings. Even and especially the hard feelings. This eliminates performance. Plus, we don't get paid enough to act happy anyway.
