Monday doesn’t mean much to me but I know for some people is one of the most dreadful words ever invented! From now on, every other Monday, I want to share some inspiration to brighten those hideous first hours of the work week for those of you that have “real jobs”! This Monday’s word is Happiness.

I have two sole priority in life: to be happy and to be kind.

Years ago I understood something that shaped the rest of my life: sooner or later, we are all gonna die! [Ok that sounds a bit dramatic and not very inspiring, more like…fucking terrifying actually! but bare with me, I have a point!]. After getting over the initial despair of the shocking discovery of this inevitable dead sentence we were cursed with, something amazing occurred to me: “If my time here is limited I want to spend it doing things that I enjoy, things that made me happy!” (…and that got me in all sorts of trouble at home and at school!).

So at age 15 I decided I wanted to be an artist, I didn’t care what kind, I just knew then that I wanted my life to be fun and adventurous and creative. I made a pact with myself. I promise I would never settle for something that didn’t make me happy. And I kept that promise. For the following 13 years anytime life started to feel unpleasant, anytime the work I was doing wasn’t making me happy, I would move away from it and find something new that gave me joy.

Today,  I lead a creative life filled of projects, travels and adventures and every day is different from the other.  It’s absolutely not as glamorous as it sounds. I work 7 days a week, mostly 14-16 hour days, I haven’t had a real day off in years, I never really know how my bank account will look 3 months in the future, i put myself in dangerous and uncomfortable situations when traveling, etc etc…But I wouldn’t change it for the world! Having the freedom to travel, to live incredible life experiences, to connect with interesting people, to be my own boss, to stay up all night writing, and—above all—to create work I love and I can be proud of, is what makes me happy. Happy beyond imaginable!

All this is not to tell you how cool my life is (is not trust me! I still struggle at times like anyone else) but to plant the seed in you that  Do what you love/Love what you do=Happiness

Of course it’s not as easy as it sounds. The first gigantic obstacle is to FIND that thing to love. And then beside the expected dose of sweat, blood and tears(LOTS and lots of tears!), doing what one loves often requires balls, a predisposition for risk taking, blind stubbornness and some good survivor skills! But we all can handle it, we were born to be happy!

Do you remember how happy we were as kids? That’s because we all came into this world carrying happiness inside of us. Some people lose sight of happiness in their adulthood, they think they lost it and start looking for it in all the wrong places: other people, things, jobs, bank accounts and they forget to look in the most obvious place…within! Happiness is never lost, it’s always still there, right where it was when we were kids: inside each and every single one of us!

If you are reading this and feel unhappy, close your eyes and listen! Happiness is hidden in your soul, all you have to do is to find the courage to let it come out and play!

—S

Here are some quotes that I hope will help you jump start your week! Have an amazing, creative, productive and happy week guys!

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