#25 - Happiness from The Inside Out with Rob Mack

Awaken The Rebel

Today I get to jam with the infamous Rob Mack. This dude is SO legit. He has an Ivy League Degree in Positive Psychology and has been endorsed by Oprah. Enough Said. Now go listen and you’re welcome. Okay just kidding, but for real though this dude is a friggin’ Sage. I am not even kidding, when I am around him his presence calms me & if you listen to this episode you will see how he calls me out (in his sage ass manner) on how I sometimes don’t even listen to myself and that can be the cause of a lot of discomfort in my life. He set me straight and I know he will set you straight too! So enjoy!

In this episode you will hear:-What the definition of Positive Psychology is, and why Rob chose this path - The difference between finding happiness in the 9-5 vs. as an entrepreneur. It may not be what you think - What signs from the environment can point towards & what may be going on inside of you -How Rob understands and implements his knowledge about Positive Psychology and how you might find a path there for yourself. -About the flow state and finding what that is for you whether it’s meditation or sports (for me it’s soccer) - What advice Rob has for me in my personal struggles with being a mom, wife and rebel entrepreneur. -Some specific techniques that showcase the power of positive psychology in your everyday life to find more peace and happiness in the present moment. -About Rob’s journey from a suicide attempt to how he has healed through learning the tools to rework his inner dialogue, thoughts and perceptions about himself. - Great news about the hope that there is happiness you can find anywhere if you are willing to look.

Quotes:“It takes light to light to recognize light.” Rob Mack “Positive Psychology is the science of what makes life worth living. It's the intersection of happiness and success.” Rob Mack “I'm so happy you're here. Because I feel like it’s so typical to say I want to break out of the 9-5 and become an entrepreneur so that I can have freedom and be happy. We want no glass ceiling and endless opportunities; we want connection and fulfillment. But then even as an entrepreneur we can end up driving ourselves into a different kind of misery.” Shereen Thor

“I went for entrepreneurship so that I could be happy, free, fulfilled, and put my family first and all the things, and then I was confused when I felt miserable.” Shereen Thor

“So, I think the challenge and the opportunity is that most of us want to control or change, uncontrollable situations or seemingly uncontrollable situations. So, we want to go from the 9 to 5 job and suddenly do something entrepreneurial. And yet we've got all this debt, and we've got all these responsibilities. So that can't always happen right away. So, in the meantime, you're ability to be happy, believe it or not, is just as good in that the 9 to 5 job as it is as an entrepreneur.” Rob Mack

“...the real issue that most people have, is they think that happiness exists outside of them in the future. And that clearly is not true. Happiness is within you and it exists now…or never essentially. Right? Right.” Rob Mack

“The only thing that really causes unhappiness is a mind that can't shut up - can't sit down, shut up and be still and silent for a while. Ultimately, the same struggles and challenges that exit for somebody who has a 9 to 5 experience or the entrepreneur experiences, but they're just sort of expressed in different ways.” Rob Mack

“Okay, because I feel like in a vacuum, it's easier, maybe by myself to choose happiness. But sometimes I think when you add a husband, or children, you are starting to add external factors that feel out of your control.” Shereen Thor

“What you see happening your life, whether it's with your husband or your kids, it's a direct reflection of actually what's going on inside of you. So, if you've got the kids that aren't listening, in all likelihood, you don't even listen to yourself.” Rob Mack

“So the first step is to begin listening to what you're thinking and noticing what you're feeling, and to do so from a place of non-judgmental awareness and observation, okay, you're just noticing it, you're not judging it, you're not trying to change it, delete it, edit, do anything with it, you're just experiencing it all the way through, and you're doing without judgment or condemnation, okay?” Rob Mack

“What you can do is something like a micro meditation. That is when you simply become aware of the thoughts and feelings you're having, without doing anything about them. Then you invite your focus back to the simple awareness of your breath. And you're just doing it for the joy of it, you're letting all your thoughts go, you're simply enjoying one breath, all the way in all the way out, as though it was the last breath you ever take on earth.” Rob Mack

“It's really important to take as many conscious breaths as you can, without too many thoughts in your mind, the more you practice that and you do it for joy's sake alone, the better you get at it, and then over time, you become very consistent very effortlessly it’s an automatic thing. So, then you're able to dial into this peace without so much struggle.” Rob Mack

Resources:

www.coachrobmack.com Find Rob Mack Online

@robmackofficial on Instagram

www.awakentherebel.com/momquiz take the quiz – What Kind of Mom are You?