I was lying in bed one morning, and all of a sudden it hit me… If I ever want to be truly happy, I have to stop doing THIS. So do you. What is this thing we need to stop doing? I call it the “Campaign of Misery.”  In the background of your mind, there’s a campaign of misery running on a loop. And until you stop it, you will never experience the happiness, joy and contentment you deserve. I promise you - it is there. In the background - talking to you all the time. This is the missing piece to true happiness. When you remove the campaign of misery, you create room for joy. I recorded this episode the same morning I had this profound insight.  What you're about to hear is a conversation with me and two friends and colleagues, Amy and Jessie. Pull up a seat at the kitchen table; I want you to hear me unpacking this breakthrough about happiness in real time. My two friends saw their “campaign of misery” immediately and started describing in detail the ridiculous ways they torture themselves. You’ll laugh, you’ll nod along, and you might even cry a little. We sure did. Because when you realize how much you rob yourself of the happiness you deserve, it is sad. I always say, this isn’t just a listening podcast, it’s a doing podcast. So by the end, there’s something specific I will be asking you to do with us while you listen. In three simple steps, you will join us as we put down the sword, grab a book of matches, and pick up the pen to write new default programming into our minds. Don’t worry, I’ll explain why you need matches near the end of the episode. And you’ll be so happy that I did. You have the power to change the way you think and the way you talk to yourself. You have the power to stop seeing all the reasons your life is hard and teach yourself to see how this could be easier. Yes, you can be happy. You can be content. But first, you have to stop making yourself miserable. Let’s support one another on this. If we fight this battle for happiness together, side-by-side, I am certain we will win. Xo Mel In this episode, you’ll learn: What happens when you get caught up in your stories My profound breakthrough around the importance of mindfulness How to start celebrating yourself right now, no matter your mindset The 3 incredibly powerful mindset hacks I did with my friends and colleagues, Amy & Jessie Go deeper: Do you want to create a better morning routine? Join my free 5-day Wake Up Challenge and I’ll coach day by day on setting your day up for success here. Morning Pages inspired by Julia Cameron: The Artist’s Way For complete show notes, click here.