aren’t you supposed to be happy?

Aren’t you supposed to be happy? 

robyn-leadpagesAt this point in your life, you’ve got so much.

A good job.
Plenty of money.

You don’t go without.
You can take your kids on Disney cruises whenever you want.
Or jet off to Turks and Caicos when your schedule allows. 

And yet… in your quiet moments, you wonder…

Why am I not satisfied?
I should be.

Feelings of guilt crop up as the brief, but vivid, fantasy darts across your mind. 

What if I just quit?

If it were just me, I’d do it in a heart beat, you think.
But it’s not just you. You’ve got your family to think about.

Isn’t it selfish to want to leave?
Isn’t it selfish to give up a steady income to follow my dream?

And even if it is just you, the prospect of walking away from a steady paycheck feels at once terrifying and exhilarating. And, somehow, irresponsible. 

In your quiet moments, you imagine starting your own business, one that honors your creativity and reconnects you with your passion. One where you can be in charge of your own schedule, transform the lives of the people you’re meant to serve, and finally, feel happy and satisfied, and excited about going to work.

Sigh. 

The last time it popped up, you ignored the brief, but vivid, fantasy. 
You told yourself that you’ve got so much to be grateful for.
You should just bloom where you’re planted. 
Why should you want more?

But today is different.

Today, I’m here with you.
Today, you’re reading what I’ve got to say about happiness and exit strategies and heeding the call of your heart. 

After 15 years of mentoring talented girls and women in their career paths, here’s what I know for sure:

You have a right to be happy. 

Happiness is the emotion from which creativity, passion, and wellbeing flow. 
The happiness – that brief euphoria – that comes from quitting your job is fleeting, especially if you don’t have a solid exit strategy in place. 

Here’s that social psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky’s research on happiness revealed

  • 10% of your happiness level is has to do with your circumstances (the job you have, the car you drive, etc.)
  • 50% of your happiness level is genetically predetermined – you get it from your parents.
  • 40% of your happiness level is based on the things that you dothe activities you engage in and intentional ways of thinking, doing, and being.

Since we don’t have a lot of control of our genetics, and only 10% of happiness is accounted for by our circumstances, I guide my clients to focus on the other 40% that they do have some control over – intentional activities. 

For women in medicine, engineering, and psychology, the best place to start learning how to be happy is to identify your mission, vision, and purpose.

Why?
Because living out your mission, vision, and purpose IS the pathway to creating life filled with meaning.
And I believe that what talented women desire even more than a happy life, is a meaningful one. 

To reaffirm: you are right to expect that you can and should be happy.
And the good news: you actually have more control over your happiness than you might imagine. 

Now, over to you...
Do you remember what it feels like to be happy all the way down to your bones?

In the comments below, tell me: how would your life be different if you knew exactly what your own mission, vision, and purpose was?


If you’d like to speak to Dr. McKay about designing an exit strategy or getting clear on your mission, vision, and purpose so you can bring happiness back into your life, complete an application here.
Dr. McKay’s team will be in touch with you within 24-48 hours to set up a 30-minute consultation. 

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