Welcome to the 9.5

JJ: How happy are you?

Me: Right this second?

JJ: Yes, on a scale of 1-10 how happy are you?

Me: 9.5

JJ: Really? What were you when we met in SF?

Me: 2 or 2.5

JJ: Yeah, you were miserable when we first met.

Me: Yup.

I'm not a member of the 1% but that's okay because I'm a card carrying member of the 9.5. My card is the smile on my face and for the most part I'm smiling all the time. Not a fake-it-til-I-make-it kind of a smile but a genuinely real smile. The above conversation with JJ happened a few weeks ago during what was truly one of the most surreal weeks of my life. It was surreal for a variety of reasons but one of them was that nearly four years ago I had a very similar week but back then it eviscerated me nearly to death and this time it was a blip on an overall fantastic month.



So, the bigger question is why am I so happy. What is different? For the first time in my life I know the answers to some pretty important questions. I am Ang and my purpose on this earth is to make others happy. I'm comfortable in my own skin. I am confident and assertive and real. I try to be kind to everyone and I know what I want. Now when I'm with a guy it is "Do I like him?" rather than "Oh, my gosh, does he like me? What if he hates me? What if he doesn't call?" I've also been working constantly on living in the present and forgetting about the past. The past used to paralyze me. I'd get lost in my head and over thought EVERYthing. Never making progress and never being full. Now I strive every single day to live in the present. I'll be honest, sometimes my present is the next fifteen minutes and sometimes it is three hours but it is never even later the same night. It is right now. When I'm living in the present I'm focused on the task at hand, the person I'm with or the issue I'm struggling with. Not an hour from now or three dates from now or someone across the room.



Another huge thing for me is that in the last year I've been introduced to some incredibly talented and amazing women (and one genius man) who have literally changed my life. Now I know I'm not alone. I'm not the only one who does this or that or thinks this or that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me to be a happier person!

Brene Brown

Eleni Zoe

Andrea Scher

Jana Riess

Joanna Brooks

Jenny Lawson

Gretchen Rubin

Craig Manning