That feeling when everything goes according to plan might be one of my favorite feelings ever. Unfortunately, it rarely happens. Is this the nature of getting older and life becoming more complex? Or is the world we live in becoming more chaotic?

I’ve only ever had one mantra in my life that seemingly appeared from nowhere and that was “Speak your truth.” This phrase has become one of my North Stars this year for reasons I can't adequately explain. Maybe it's because I’ve lived most of my life not feeling like I could fully tell my truth.

I have this recurring nightmare (or possibly daymare.) I’m standing on a mountain looking at the beautiful landscape below. And all I can think of are the emails piling up in my inbox or an interaction with a client that didn’t go perfectly. We all know the feeling, right?

I recently read that our vices are triggered by wanting to feel different from our current state. I find this revelation fascinating, albeit a little scary. We've effectively taught ourselves how to avoid negative feelings by using nonconscious habitual behaviors.

In my late 20s, I moved to Houston to take a new job with a fat pay raise. Little did I know that I would quite literally hate it there.

What I didn't realize is how much of a gift it is to experience being fully present. I've also since realized this helped me come closer to living a life that's true to who I am, and not what others want of me - because I was able to tune in to myself.

I've been reflecting on where I was a year ago: packing up my belongings from the house I had lived in with my ex during the prior year. I had just ended our 2 1/2-year relationship, and he wanted me out of his house ASAP. Snowstorm (or lack of housing) be damned.

I had been listening to the Happiness Lab since the start of 202o and I immediately fell in love. What's that you say? I can make myself happy by taking specific actions backed by science? Say no more fam.