Positivity, Happiness and Solo Entrepreneurship

We have heard a lot about happiness at the workplace, and I seldom know about happiness and solo entrepreneurship. I’m working independently as a coach and I’m serving solopreneurs as my clients. I’m now reflecting on my journey with happiness and solo entrepreneurship. I see my solo entrepreneur journey as personal development, though Yes, I develop my coaching and consulting as a business. Yes, it’s tough to build the business, and having positivity, it helps. 

Previously, I placed importance on business strategies to make the business successful. Although those business strategies are useful to apply, I realize that positivity and happiness are the foundation of building a healthy business. With business strategies, we need positivity to make the strategies work. I believe that building a business should be holistic, a business that has a soul, that you’re love working in it, and the customer love their products/services. A business that grows and serves the purpose and mission of doing good for people and the planet, and an extension of your personal growth too. 

The concept of Happiness and Positivity

People perceive happiness in a hedonistic way, happiness is often measured as success, achievements, or pleasure in material gain. These often cause disappointments and make comparisons if you don’t have them. 

My journey with positivity and happiness and entrepreneurship leads me to coaching, positive psychology, and I’m happy to be a work in progress and keep evolving in personal development. 

I describe positivity as a feeling of peace/calm or at ease, almost like a neutral feeling, feeling balanced and there are different kinds of positive feelings around it. I learn from loving-kindness in positive psychology that we can wish ourselves, others, and the world to be happy, safe, and healthy. We can project happiness not only to ourselves but also to people around us and expand to the country and the world. 

Happiness doesn’t mean that you reject or suppress negative feelings. The guest house poem by Rumi taught us to welcome all emotions. The emotions don’t define us, we have these emotions because we attach them to the narrative story that we tell to ourselves. Behind the negative emotions, what are the needs that are yearning to be met? 

Thich Nhat Hanh, a spiritual leader said that the concept of happiness lies in understanding both worlds, the positive and negative feelings.  if you don’t understand sufferings, you don’t understand happiness. It also applies to success. If you understand failures, you will understand success. 

There are many reasons why happiness can support you in solopreneurship. 

Optimism

Being happy daily helps you to feel optimistic about your business and the future. Even when you encounter failures or mistakes, you will not give up easily because you believe that failures are lessons to learn. 

Creativity, Innovation and resourcefulness

We can’t be creative, innovative and resourceful when we are unhappy. A happy mind brings intuition and wisdom to come up with ideas. Ideas are like fuel for your business. 

Attract Clients

A happy person will likely build a good relationship with other people, thus it will attract clients easily. Happiness will show up on you.  

Abundance

Happiness can bring abundance. A happy person will think abundance instead of scarcity. You will think from the perspective, how your business can bring abundance to others and benefit others. You will not be scared of competition. 

How can you start happiness in solo entrepreneurship from now? 

Practice Gratitude, Forgiveness, and Self-Compassion

This simple practice helps you to feel at ease with yourself. You can appreciate the little things and look for something you’re grateful for daily. If you make mistakes, forgive yourself and have self-compassion instead of blaming yourself. 

Being aware of where I’m now

Checking with your fleeting feeling from time to time and your feeling can change too. Pause and take one single breath to be aware of your feeling. Incorporating meditation and Mindfulness is helpful too. 

Finding joy in doing little things

This is one pillar in Ikigai, living with your purpose to find joy in daily life. When you incorporate joy, you feel uplifted. 

Self-care

Self-care can rejuvenate you, it can include good sleep, taking care of your physical and mental health, taking a short happiness break between work.  In fact, having good sleep is my priority. 

Expressing yourself

Expressing yourself is good for body and mind.  Any forms of writing, speaking, art and movements are good for self-expression. I feel happy and relaxed when I’m painting. 

Making a meaningful connection

For me, A simple act could be commenting and saying kind words on social media. In the Eastern community, reunion and togetherness are believed to bring happiness. 

If you want to measure your satisfaction with life, the wheel of life is a tool to get self-evaluation about your current life and what you want to improve in life or career/business. Work with a coach to get an insight into your life, whether you live an unbalanced life or balanced life, and look for ways to improve your life. 

With the above tips and my sharing,  I recommend that you can start small and embrace positivity as a habit slowly.  With positivity, we navigate life at ease, make better choices and grow to become a better person.