Overcoming Loneliness

The wise bunny, Senka, shares her journey of finding happiness and overcoming adversity. She emphasizes that happiness is different for everyone but is connected to feeling good and making a positive impact. Senka recalls her childhood dreams and reflects on her current career as a designer and podcast host. She believes that happiness comes from leading a fulfilling life and pursuing meaningful goals. The wise bunny story illustrates how gratitude can bring joy and help overcome challenges. Senka encourages listeners to practice gratitude daily, even for negative experiences. She ends by thanking her audience and inviting feedback. Hi, my name is Senka and this is the wise bunny in the search for happiness. Who am I and who is this wise bunny? I'm a designer, but more so, a human being who overcame adversity only to find joy in life. After tremendous life spans, I realized a few things about joy, happiness, fulfillment, and the meaning of life. While all of these are different for different people, we are connected by a common search for feeling good and living a positive trace in the world. I will be talking about how to find happiness even in the worst situation. Drawing on research, recent studies, books I've read, and personal experience, we'll dive deep into what happiness is and how to find it. I remember it as if it was yesterday. I was 7 years old and I pledged to myself I would do 100 sit-ups every evening before bed. During my sit-ups, I envisioned myself on a stage giving a speech to what seemed to be a huge audience. The stage was dimly lit and the audience in the distance seemed thrilled by the motivational speech I was given. This was the vision, of course. To a 7-year-old, all alternatives seemed like a solid choice, so I also dreamed of being a teacher and, after reading Pippi DeLong's talking, a pilot. My piloting dream soon became forgotten as I started wearing glasses. Today, several decades ago, and with a bit more experience and even more dreams, I'm a designer for a USA-based startup and also running my design agency. I launched a zine and this podcast with my design academy in the making. Would my 7-year-old self be happy that I launched a podcast with the desire to motivate? I think so. And even if this speech is heard by a handful of people, my mission on this planet, I feel, is starting to reveal. Happiness is, based on Google, the joy of the current moment that stems from leading a fulfilling life and having meaningful goals. What I love about this definition is that it gives us an understanding that the goals we have, if they are aligned with our inner core, will provide us meaning in life, thus giving us joy in the current moment. Let me tell you a story. One morning, the wise bunny woke up feeling sad, troubled, and just plain washed out. One would say he was even lonely. He called around for other bunnies, but no one was there to share carrots or a meaningful chat. But our bunny is wise, so he sat and thought, Are other bunnies supposed to give me joy, or am I to find it myself? He also thought, if I'm experiencing all of this right now, and I am pretty wise, maybe I'm supposed to experience this. The bunny knew that nothing in life is accidental. He was wise. On his comfy sofa that morning, in his tiny bunny heart, he said, Thank you, life. Thank you, God, for this tremendous loneliness I feel. Thank you, because I know that everything I experience, I'm experiencing for my benefit. The bunny felt it. Streaming through his little bones, all from the paws to the ears, he felt the gratitude. He opened his eyes, fluffed his tail, and noticed he was feeling much lighter. What a moment ago seemed like turmoil, now it seemed like opportunity. I have all of this time to make something fresh, new, exciting, and creative. All of this time I would be spending on socializing. I could be spending on creating a better life. He took a pencil and started drawing. Carrots and oddly shaped cabbages jumped from the paper, giving him joy. He dreamed of all of the things he could do with these drawings, and his goals and ideas made him feel excited. Bunny found joy despite the loneliness. Recent and not-so-recent research shows that gratitude practiced daily gives us an increased feeling of joy, changes our mindset, provides health benefits, and helps us overcome adversity. In this story, the wise bunny felt grateful for the turmoil he was experiencing. The human mind can easily go in the direction of feeling gratitude only for the good things. The bunny invites us to feel gratitude from past three years for even the things that feel negative to us. Try it, and let us know how you feel afterwards. This is the wise bunny and the search for happiness. Until next time, stay happy. Thank you so much for listening. If you liked this episode, let me know by subscribing or leaving a message. It is greatly appreciated, and I read every word you say.