I have always been a happy person, enjoying smiling and bringing joy to people. Seeing others' joy and success has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. Happiness itself had never really been a subject I was interested in. It's a strange concept to me that I am much more interested in happiness – why we are happy, how we are happy, or what being happy even means. It's strange because happiness is within everyone, yet unfortunately, some lack it, some lose it, and some are never introduced to it due to misfortune.

A few years ago, I was working in the mines in Western Australia. I had a lovely home, was earning good money, and my now-wife and I were traveling extensively and having a great time. I was away a lot, which was hard, but honestly, the work there was amazing. I certainly found a sense of purpose and contribution to society in the work I was doing. It involved hard work, long hours, high-stress projects on tight timeframes, but there was a real sense of camaraderie and teamwork.

After about three years, I reached a point where our lifestyle was starting to make me feel trapped in the FIFO game. I started getting depressed and quickly fell into a black hole. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon in the industry, and being predominantly a male industry, it is not managed very well internally. I spiralled out of control, started having dark thoughts, and left within a swing or so shortly after. I returned home, without achieving some goals I had set out to accomplish and struggled to find a new job, especially one that could fill that gap. Mining has a sink-or-swim culture, so you are thrown into the deep end very quickly. This creates both good and bad elements, but one part of it is exposure to higher-level elements of business, leading to a faster trajectory in your career.

The combination of all these factors put me in a tough spot, and for the next few years, I struggled with my mental health. On the surface, everything seemed good or even great – relationships, adventures, finances, etc. However, deep down, I felt empty.

For a while, I have been searching for something within myself, searching for more meaning in life. After a few years of battling within my mind, I developed some techniques, grew as a person, and consciously sought after struggle rather than letting it find me. These things helped me get through that dark period, and although I still encounter darkness from time to time, I am better prepared for it, knowing how to handle it and work with it.

Navigating through this involved tapping into the underlying consciousness within the universe and riding a stream of happiness. Working on mantras, affirmations, meditation, and being present, my control over my mind improved, and I discovered new meaning to happiness within my soul and world. I'm not claiming to know the formula for happiness; I believe there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. However, through experiencing happiness, losing it, and finding it again, I can share some lessons and insights into what it means to be happy and the overall search for happiness. My objective is to find and share any little glimmer that can contribute to someone else's happiness because everyone deserves to be happy. Happiness encompasses magic, fulfilment, purpose, and numerous fundamental contributing factors to being human.

Thanks,

Dean