Rigged for Misery: How to Rewrite the Internal Rules That Are Stealing Your Joy
Rigged for Misery: How to Rewrite the Internal Rules That Are Stealing Your Joy Think about the last time you were truly happy. What had to happen for you to feel that way? Maybe you landed a big client, got a heartfelt email, or finally saw a specific number on the scale. Now, think about why you weren't happy yesterday. Most likely, it’s because some invisible "rule" in your head wasn't met. We all carry an infinite range of emotions, but we’ve tethered them to a strict set of expectations. We’ve turned our happiness into a hostage situation where the ransom is a list of things we often can't control. The Blueprint of the "If/Then" Trap We are rule-making machines. From a young age, we take our experiences and turn them into a manual for survival. We say, "If I get a million dollars, then I’ll feel successful," or "If my partner does exactly what I want, then I’ll feel loved" . The problem? Most of these rules are rigged...