What’s this all about?
Welcome to CompassInTheStorm.com. I wanted to begin by introducing myself. My name is Julia Shupe. I’m an author (by night) and mortgage professional (by day). I’ve worked in the service industry for most of my life, including 8 years in various Las Vegas casinos. As such, I’ve noticed certain things about people, certain patterns or characteristics that distinguish personality and emotion. In other words, I began to notice patterns in people. Let me give you an example that readily comes to mind. I remember 9-11. I was working that day. At the time, I was a concierge at the Venetian hotel. Everyone was struggling just to get through the day. All of us were speechless, in tears, or worse, in shock. But that didn’t stop a guest from approaching our desk and proceeding to yell at us because the restaurant he wanted to dine in was full. I was flabbergasted by his lack of empathy, his callousness, and I’ve often thought of him over the years. I wonder if he later regretted his words. I wonder if he embarrassed himself that day. I’ll never know the answers, but the idea has never ceased to interest me.
People, or so I have come to believe, seem to have “happiness set points”. In life, happiness ebbs and flows. Struggling is part of the human experience. We’ve all heard the “glass half-empty or half-full” concept. Life—and happiness—is all about perception.
Right? Well….yes…and no.
It is about perception…but also so much more. It’s about our history, our childhoods, our jobs, our friends, our spouses, and yes, even our biology! Over the last few years (when I finally turned 40, I guess), I began to question the importance of personal happiness and the weight we give it when balancing our lives. In a world where personal credit card debt has just reached a mind-blowing $1 trillion for the first time in history, how much value do we place on happiness?
Over the past few years, I began to notice little things about myself: how perusing Facebook and Instagram sometimes made me feel, how I sometimes treated and spoke to myself, how comparing myself to others was an unproductive (and silly!) pastime. I began to notice another interesting thing: the older I became, the less I cared what other people thought of me. And THAT, my friends, is a wonderful thing. Happiness, I’ve come to realize, is everything. Money, prestige, an impressive home or car: while all of these things can contribute to overall happiness, they certainly don’t guarantee it. Money is a path to freedom—I won’t deny that. Much of my personal stress often stems from financial fears. But money certainly isn’t everything.
So what will we talk about on this site?
Like I said before, people seem to have “happiness set points”. On a scale of 1 to 5, I seem to hover around a 3. I’ve always envied naturally happy people. In my life I’ve known people who are happier than me, and others who struggle on a daily basis, all of which I find intriguing.
Several years ago, I embarked on a journey into the very nature of happiness and I’d like to share my discoveries with all of you. I’d also like this site to be reader-interactive. I’d love to hear stories about your personal triumphs, about times you’ve pulled yourself from the dark into the light. I’ll be publishing those stories on this site. (click HERE if you’d like to submit one).
It’s the simple things that make a difference.
Sounds hokey, right? It isn’t. I had no idea how impactful small changes could be. You don’t have to completely makeover your life to move up the “happiness scale”. There are things you can do, routines you can adopt, stubborn mindsets and habits you can break. These are the things I’ll explore on this site, from “faking” your emotions to getting out of your own way. From the impact of exercise, vitamins, and sleep to honing the necessary skills to control your inner dialogue.
How did I come up with the title?
Yeah…the title. That was a tough one. I had originally chosen “Grinchy Tendencies” (don’t laugh), but I feared copyright issues associated with the word “Grinch”. I tinkered with “The Happiness Scale”, “The Happiness Compass”, or “The Happiness Spectrum”, but when “Compass in the Storm” occured to me, I immediately knew it was right. Please join me, if you will, on this emotional journey. Please explore the deepest meanings of life. And above all else, please find true happiness. It’s a tangible thing. You can feel it when it’s there. And there is absolutely nothing quite like it.
I look forward to tipping the happiness scale with all of you.
Your friend,
Julia