What is Your Happiness Balance?

Right now, do you feel more like yourself, less like yourself, or just the same?

How do you feel about your current mindset, health, finances, lifestyle, and relationships?
When you feel off balance, what helps you realign?

For the past six weeks, I’ve felt deeply depleted. Wanting to “get back to normal” became a constant frustration when it wasn’t happening. Antibiotics, rest, and self-care helped—but they also raised a bigger question: what is my normal now?

We often know when something feels off physically, but how much attention do we give to balance in the rest of our lives—work, relationships, community, purpose? We all define a good life differently, yet how intentional are we about maintaining balance across it?

A few years ago, I took part in a personal development programme focused on shifting from lack to ambition. We explored money mindset, self-image, values, attitudes, and behaviours. It was powerful—but it also made me realise something important: before we can build an ambitious future, we need to take honest stock of life as it is now.

That reflection showed me where my energy was going—and where it wasn’t being fairly met. The saying goes that we’re the average of the five people we spend most time with. I realised I no longer felt a sense of belonging with people who once felt like my core. Work felt unfulfilling. Friendships felt one-sided. Purpose and community felt missing.

I wanted my life “back on track”—back into balance. But life shifts us. Close friendships fade into nostalgia. Meaningful work can lose its spark. Family life, while rich, can distance us from who we once were. As we move through life, our sense of self changes.

Over the past 15 years, several major life events reshaped what mattered to me. More recently, training as an end-of-life planning facilitator prompted deep decluttering—materially, emotionally, and energetically. I began to see that my default state wasn’t as content as I’d believed. I also recognised how my own expectations of others were fuelling frustration.

Around this time, I revisited research on happiness and hedonic adaptation. A classic study compared lottery winners and accident survivors. Surprisingly, both groups eventually returned to their usual level of happiness. Big events may shift us temporarily, but we tend to revert to our habitual attitudes and behaviours—our baseline.

More recent research shows something hopeful: our baseline can improve when we consciously work on our mindset, self-care, values, and environment.

That insight mattered to me. A lottery win might change circumstances, but it won’t fix poor habits or a mindset of lack. When I stepped away from draining situations, I felt relief—but lasting change only came when I addressed what I was bringing with me.

This belief is at the heart of Living Legacy. Before planning for the future, we must take stock of the present.

So ask yourself:

• What is your default mode?

• What drains your energy—and what nourishes it?

• What would you like to improve, and why?

• What small steps can you take now?

I recently joined a choir, Diva Voces, and we’re rehearsing Cyndi Lauper’s True Colours. The song is about seeing ourselves—and others—clearly:

“I see your true colours shining through…”

So what are your true colours?
What balance can you check in with each day?
Noticing when you’re off balance—or even when you’ve slipped back into old patterns—helps you know when to seek support or recalibrate.

If you’d like to explore this further, join our #100DayJourney on Instagram (@livinglegacy.ie): daily reflections and practical prompts to help you take stock of your life and move forward with intention.

You can also explore our mentoring and coaching supports at www.livinglegacy.ie/store .

I wish you balance as you move forward—and I look forward to supporting you on the journey.