On our journey towards happiness, most of us will come to a point in life where we start wondering what our purpose is. It can be considered an integral part of happiness, but purpose can be almost as fuzzy and elusive as happiness.

It’s no secret that everyone is trying to find some measure of happiness. Some people are looking for a very specific type of happiness that is more narrowly defined, while others are looking for a general sense of happiness. Regardless, happiness can’t come unless you first look at yourself.

Learning how to love yourself is key to happiness.

At some point in your life, you may find yourself feeling lost. Even people who knew what they were doing or had a sense of purpose and mission may find themselves in this position. Many people find themselves feeling this way throughout their lives; often they may experience this multiple times.

From the youngest age, to your teenage years, young adult life, middle age, and beyond, most people will be doing things in order to find some sense of happiness. People are searching for meaning, joy, achievement, and satisfaction. They do that while playing, working, or in their personal life and relationships.

Happiness is hard for many people. It’s hard to find. It’s hard to feel. It’s just as likely many simply don’t even know what happiness is to even know if they are happy or not.

We may spend a lot of time paying attention to ourselves being self-conscious, but that doesn’t mean we know who we really are. Understanding what makes up our authentic self is harder and more elusive than it appears. We have to know what being authentic even means.

Being authentic simply means that we are genuine, and truthful to ourselves. That does sound simple, but also incredibly vague. The truth is that for many of us, we don’t know who we are. At least we don’t know ourselves well enough to know what it is to even be true to ourselves, and even if we do know, we don’t always act and behave that way.

How many times have you caught yourself doing something you didn’t want to do, like buying something you didn’t even have much interest in?

You end up spending your money and effort on things you don’t need or even like because someone else likes it, or because someone else has it, or because someone else said it was great, or because other people are buying it. It could even be that your life is spent chasing after things you have no interest in whatsoever. Your hobbies, job, career, lifestyle, aspirations, whatever they may be, could very well be someone else’s dream and aspiration.

This is how some people end up feeling like their life has no meaning or purpose. There is no meaning because they aren’t doing things that are meaningful to them. They are acting in accordance to other people’s wills, tastes, and desires.

Being authentic is knowing who you are well enough that you can live according to your own truth. When you do that, you align your actions to who you really are. You’ll make decisions that best reflect what you really feel and think, and you’ll start feeling like you are in control over your own life. You won’t go around chasing useless or pointless goals. Your goals will be something you’ve considered, look forward to, and devote your time to achieving. This is incredibly important to how you find love, how you build relationships, and how you develop your own career.

There will always be external and peer influences, but knowing who you really are and acting in accordance with that will give your life a whole new layer of meaning. It could be the difference between finding happiness and meaning, or feeling unhappy and dissatisfied with everything in life.

Knowing who you are and acting true to yourself can be the key to your happiness.

Join us at College of Allied Educators to learn more about yourself, what motivates you, and how you can find happiness, meaning, and success in work, love, and life.

• POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY
  Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology (PGDICP) is a counselling psychology course accredited by the Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC). The part-time Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology programme focuses on developing and enhancing experiential knowledge and skills through a holistic approach. Some of the subjects covered include Counselling Children, Addiction Intervention, Crisis Intervention, and Family Therapy.  
• ADVANCED DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY
  Advanced Diploma in Counselling Psychology (ADICP) trains students to apply appropriate counselling skills in different situations while understanding their underlying theories. The ADICP programme introduces students to the nature of psychology and relates it to the theories and concepts of counselling. Students move on to explore themselves in order to promote personal growth and self-awareness, acquiring the key attributes of a competent counsellor and the proper methods of applying those skills.
• DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY
  Diploma in Counselling Psychology (DCPSY) is a counselling course covering a range of conceptual and functional skills in counselling. It trains students to apply appropriate counselling psychology skills in different situations, and equips students with the ability to work effectively as a counsellor.

For a FREE COURSE PREVIEW

CALL US at 6533-0031 EMAIL your enquiry to ENQUIRY@ICAE.EDU.SG

or Register for your free preview below: