An interesting thing happened to me the other day on what could have been a typical commute to work. I went to find a new podcast, someone or something I hadn’t heard before. This was the title that jumped out to me. Unfortunately, this title seemed pretty farfetched and fake.

 I am always interested in the modern view of psychology, how to create, maintain and be aware of life in order to get more happiness.

BeAwesome365 is now in its fourth year,  which seems fantastic.   Although it’s still unpopular, it serves its purpose for me and occasionally for somebody else.

 I was looking for something new in my podcast world and came across an episode entitled “How to create instant happiness nearly 100% of the time in just seconds per day.”

When I see titles like this, it almost always comes across as clickbait, yet I still typically click it despite knowing with certainty the artificial intelligence that surrounds my world via social media, Siri and Alexa knows me only too well.

 Why am I interested in instant happiness?   

Because I have an entire website dedicated to just that.

It’s unbelievable to me that over the last few years, these tiny little steps I have made in my life, despite individually seeming insignificant, over time have created a ripple effect that is nothing short of astonishing.

My life is much less stressful and more fulfilling than just a few years ago.    I was never miserable but just stressed. Four kids, 27 pets, six sports and a busy career will do that to a guy.   

But now, despite not really having anything concrete I can say changed my life for the better,  I can assure you that my life is exponentially Improved!   

 I think it’s some of these little tips and tricks that I  discover, research, listen to and play with that has done the trick.  Not one thing, but a bunch of different tools that I can use based on circumstances. So I play with it. If it works for me, I share it.

So knowing that I figured even a clickbait title like “Instant happiness guaranteed” was worth my 8 minutes.

Here’s the gist.

The co-hosts briefly talked about dopamine and the chemical cascade in your brain that causes a “feel good sensation,” as well as the addictive properties that our body creates for this.  

(caveman voice) “Chad feel good, Chad want MORE feel good.”  

They added the notion and reality of modern science that the brain basically doesn’t favor real life over imagination, so we can use that hack to create our own happiness.   This is natural science and real psychology.  It works from everything from a smile to performance enhancement in the super bowl.  

Here’s the drill.

Imagine yourself as a kid.   Then, for an instant dial-up, picture yourself between 5-8 years old.

Get details.   The shirt you’re wearing, scuffed up Levi’s, what your hair was like. Etc.   

Picture this “younger you” from the perspective of your modern-day self seeing him or her through your modern self’s eyes.   

I imagine myself seeing young Chad on our elementary school playground.   Dusty shirt, messy hair, standing on one of the big tire Mountains we had.  Little Chad is sitting there looking at their future self with a little 8-year-old smile on.  He’s got a green shirt that must be made of terry cloth (weird) with a white and red stripe across the front.  He’s missing one tooth up front but has a big one, filling the gap nicely.   Little Chad also sports a sort of moppy, bowl-style haircut, similar to some of the guys from the pic above.

Ok, here’s where it gets funky.

Really get a good image of your younger self in your mind from that point of view.

Now…

Imagine giving your younger self a hug.  Really.  Your brain doesn’t know this is imagination.  So go over there and give that little kid a hug.

Can you feel that person?  Bony shoulders? Skinny, chubby? Fine hair, Smells like Crest and apples? Maybe the kid hugs you back, maybe not.  But take 5 seconds and just feel younger you.

Now tell that kid that things turn out OK.   Just hug him or her and tell them, “Look, there’s a few scary times, there’s some ups and downs, but you’re going to have a thousand adventures.  We turn out pretty good.  We have a CAR! We live a good life.”

I tried it.

I felt a little silly.   For about 3 seconds.

But then something weird happened. 

First, I felt an electric chill go up my spine.  Then, I felt warmth spread through my face, and a smile from nowhere appear.   

Holy shit!   It worked.  Instant happiness. 

Not the thing I feel when I hit “purchase” on Amazon or buy a pair of shoes but a real feeling. Palpable.

And here’s the deal.  It gets easier each time you do it.   The podcast suggested doing this 3-5x a week, but lately I’ve caught myself doing it a few times per day.

Sometimes it’s young Chad like I described.  Often, however, it’s high school “football Chad” all padded up in the locker room hallway. Just before heading out onto the field for a game,  I can feel the pads and smell the jersey.  This young adult looks me in the eyes before heading out to score a touchdown! Despite being on the top of the world, He needed that hug. I needed it too.

Sometimes it’s me from my middle 20’s Fresh off a terrible romantic breakup that I was sure would ruin my life.  This guy is depressed and confused.  He NEEDs that hug.  It’s get’s him off his butt and moving forward.

Sometimes it’s not a hug at all but a high five like I’m a star in a beer commercial just seconds before my soon-to-be wife rounds the corner of her house on our wedding day years ago. Modern Chad and wedding day Chad feel the excitement and joy at the exact same time all over again!

 All kinds of Chads from all eras and emotions. I think it’s real. It’s making me happy but also rewiring my brain. It’s helped my memory, imagination, and emotional wellbeing. It feels So. Damn. Great!

I take 30 seconds a few times daily to connect with myself on a different plane.  Bypassing the laws of space and time, yet damn near every time, it works for a quick jolt of dopamine, a smile, and a blast of happiness.

Maybe it’s just me.  But I only share this because I think someone out there might also like the idea. It works for me, and perhaps it works for you as well.   That’s the whole idea of BeAwesome365 and why I keep coming up with reasons to post a new podcast or article, typically a day or two after I decide I’m done with it forever.

I just never know if I will catch somebody at the right time and something sticks.