Questions You Should Ask Yourself to Stay WELL and Happy
A couple of weeks ago, I attended the 4th Annual W.E.L.L. Summit in New York City, a 2-day gathering all about wellness, empowerment, leadership, and luxury. I had the pleasure of receiving the insightful ideas and ponderings of world renowned speakers, teachers, coaches, authors, and healers like Agapi Stassinopoulas, Latham Thomas, Jennifer Racioppi, Josh Rosebrook, Sarah Divello, Sandra Chiu, Katherine Budig, and Kate Fagen, among others. I have sifted through my notes and personal reflections to bring you some of the most powerful questions and quotes from the event.
Speaker and author Agapi Stassinopoulas sharing on how we learn to love and value ourselves and trust that if it is meant to be, it’ll be. Agapi’s latest book is called Wake Up to the Joy of You: 52 Meditations and Practices for a Calmer, Happier Life
Journaling Prompts
Important life questions we should all spend some time answering.
These questions were inspired by the speakers listed above and my personal reflections on what it takes to stay WELL and happy amidst the busyness of life. If you don’t feel like writing out your answers in paragraph form, lists work great!
- What 3 things do I appreciate about myself today?
- What does wellness mean to me? What does it feel like?
- Is this the life I would be living if I had 6 months?
- Do I engage my life force regularly? If so, how? If not, what could I do that I enjoy to engage my life force? (e.g., pranayama, yoga, dance, run, time in nature, tai chi, visualization, meditation)
- What are my core values? What is most important to me? (Write down 4-6 values, such as: engaging with my community, building connection with family, my health and wellbeing, being a person of integrity, environmental stewardship, developing my relationship with myself, and so on.)
- What are my fake core values? What do I think is important to me, but when I am honest with myself I see is causing me unhealthy stress and/or hindering my happiness?
- What fuels and energizes me? What brings me joy?
- What would I like more of in my life right now? How could I get more of that?
- What is it inside that is eating up my joy? What am I doing consistently that is draining me?
- What don’t I want in my life?
Memorable Quotes:
“Comparison is the death of us…the moment you see it happening, change the conversation in the mind.” -Josh Rosebrook
You know when you’re scrolling through Instagram or Facebook and you start to get that sick feeling in your stomach after seeing someone else’s joy, beauty or success and somewhere inside you know it’s coming from a place of comparison, jealously or feelings of not being enough? Put the phone away, close the computer. Pivot your awareness to your breath, your cat, the shining sun, or something that makes you feel positive, grateful, and at the very least present.
“Comparison is an addiction to loosing.” -Agapi Stassinopoulas
There will always be someone better, learn to embrace yourself as you are, and others as they are. There is no continuum of human greatness, only a complex mix of traits and genes, luck and fate, love and suffering, learning and experience that makes us who we are.
“Discouragement is the greatest enemy to the human spirit.” –Agapi Stassinopoulas
“Emotions are amoral, behaviors have morality.” – Jennifer Racioppi
Forgive yourself for how you feel, judge yourself based on how you act.
“Create a vision for your best life and hold it with you.” – Sara DiVello
“A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.” – Einstein
No, Einstein was not there 😉 but ESPN’s Kate Fagen shared his words, the context being the quest and complicated connection between happiness and success.
“Love you a lot. Don’t be concerned with missing out, the only thing we must be concerned about missing out on is ourselves.” – Agapi Stassinopoulas
Affirmation: My heart is at ease knowing that what was meant for me will never miss me and that what misses me was never meant for me. – Sufi poet
Trust the universe.
Staying WELL is like juggling…
I’d like to share an analogy that has been working well for me lately. Imagine you are learning to juggle. Each ball you throw in the air represents something you must do to nurture your wellbeing and happiness.
First make a list of what you want to juggle: What practices are most important and supportive to you? For example, spending time with loved ones, going to yoga class regularly, being a steward of the earth, meditating, eating a healthy, plant-based diet, drinking plenty of plain filtered water, speaking kindly to yourself, maintaining a clutter-free environment, etc.
What are you currently juggling successfully and what balls have you dropped? Do you want to pick any up at this time? If so, how will you create the space and intention to take action?
Staying WELL and happy amidst of the busyness of life means juggling the practices that align you with your values. Like anything, you will get better with practice, but if you’re like me, you’re going to keep dropping balls for the rest of your life. Accept this, and when a ball drops, simply do your best to pick it back up from a place of self-love, respect, lightness, and compassion.
Be well, Allie
About the Author
Allison Andrews, MAEd, CHC, CYT
Allie is the founder and program director at OmBody Health. With a background in health coaching, yoga and meditation, education, and corporate wellness, Allie and the OmBody Health team specialize in making vibrant health and wellbeing accessible to busy people.
Click here to check out Allie’s book – a simple guide to self-love and self-care.