I wasn’t born an optimist.
In fact… quite the opposite.
I was a moody, sullen, often seriously depressed child and young adult.
One night, at age 26, I decided that I was going to find the secret of happiness.
I was at a party in Coconut Grove, Florida, at the waterfront home of a millionaire, surrounded by people seemingly having a great time. I felt like such an outsider amidst the laughing, smiling party-goers. I had never felt so alone.
I wanted to have a great time, I just didn’t know how.
I thought it was something that just “happened” to lucky people.
In that moment, as I stood on the dock overlooking beautiful Biscayne Bay, I promised myself that I would do whatever it took to discover the secret to happiness.
During the next several years I went to therapy, read a lot of books, attended workshops and discovered that most of the time happiness is a choice. Even when really bad stuff is happening!
I found out that I am an HSP – a highly sensitive person and essentially very shy. I had to break through my fear of people and really make an effort to learn how to connect, make small talk, and allow myself to “be seen.”