Choosing Happiness When Pain Surfaces

Julie Murphy • June 24, 2015

Spend some time researching happiness stats in this country, and you’ll get results ranging from how much money you need to make to truly be happy and the dismal percentage of Americans that actually are. Happiness is important, yet it’s one of the more overlooked indicators of a full life.

Often, we get caught up in the accumulation of stuff – job titles, fabulous vacations, handbags, etc. – in the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, those things are just that – things. True happiness comes from within and the material things we collect have a negligible effect at best.

So what is it you are trying to bury? What’s going on in your life currently that is making you unhappy?

I think a big part of the reason why so many of us are unhappy is because we hold onto bad experiences from the past and attach them to current situations far too often. You will never heal from past hurts if you keep opening the wounds during current ones. Your narrative may be powerful, but keeping a Rolodex of your past pains is truly only hurting you.

With that said, being unhappy serves a valuable purpose…for a moment. Happiness is a good identifier of the state of your overall well-being. So if you are feeling empty, sad or disillusioned, it’s a great time to take stock in what’s happening in your life to make you so unsettled and identify the problem.

Focus on what serves you, and eliminate the things that drain you. Are daily post-work drinks no longer as fun as they used to be? Cut back and find another activity. Have the weekly painting classes turned into more of an escape than a creative outlet? Reevaluate what you are truly doing there and solve that specific problem.

And if your unhappiness is caused by struggle from things that happened to you in your past, talk to someone. Your spouse. A friend. A professional. Ripping open old wounds every time someone tip toes close to them doesn’t serve you positively. True happiness happens when you accept your current reality – and the current reality often has much to do with what happened to you in the past.

Action step

The secret to happiness is this: it’s a verb. Like cooking, networking or writing, the more you choose to do it, the better you will get at it. Choosing happiness can be as simple as waking up and telling yourself “I’m going to be happy today” but it helps a lot when you have created a life you love living. That doesn’t mean that you will go throughout your day with a natural passion about every single thing you do. Your happiness will ebb and flow, but everything you do will serve your overall purpose.

This week, I want you to set an intention to make being happy your default, and go through your day paying close attention to how you feel and act in most situations. I don’t expect you to float on cloud nine when something bad happens; I just want you to determine where exactly the feelings are coming from within yourself before you dwell on the negative. Give yourself the time you need each day to examine your feelings and you will find that happiness will become an easier choice to make.

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How to End the Year Like the Wealthy Do

By Julie Murphy • December 10, 2025

Reset Your Money Energy for 2026 Every December, we all feel that pull, the desire to “be better with money next year.” But here’s the secret I’ve seen again and again after nearly three decades of walking alongside people from all walks of life: Financially wealthy people don’t just plan their next year — they energetically complete the one they’re leaving. They close loops. They clear emotional residue. They realign their energy field before they set a single goal. And you can absolutely do the same. As I share in The Emotion Behind Money , wealth is never created by logic alone. It comes from managing the emotions behind your money and understanding that money itself is energy. And in Awaken Your Wealth , I remind readers that energetic shifts begin when you consciously picture yourself stepping into a new reality, while compassionately acknowledging the one you’re standing in now. So let’s walk through the simple year-end process I teach my clients — one that spiritually, emotionally, and financially resets your money field for a powerful 2026. 1. Review Your 2025 Wins & Losses With Compassion Before you step into the new year, look back with the most loving, nonjudgmental eyes possible. I call it neutral observation . Wealthy people don’t spiral into shame when something didn’t go perfectly. They get curious. Ask yourself: Where did I expand financially this year? Where did I contract emotionally or economically? What choices were truly aligned with my values? Which ones came from fear, scarcity, or old patterns? In Awaken Your Wealth , the “Accepting Reality and Awakening” step of PACT teaches that awareness without judgment is how we break old money patterns for good. So breathe. Notice. Write it down. No shame. No spiral. Just truth. 2. Forgive Any Money Mistakes Here’s a truth most people never consider: Every financial mistake carries emotional weight and emotional weight blocks money flow. From my work in The 4 Spiritual Laws of Money , we know that your heart’s energy is more powerful than your brain’s logic, and intention is what redirects energy back into alignment. Forgiveness, of yourself, your past self, or others involved, releases stagnant money energy. Try this: Write down any money decisions from 2025 that still feel heavy. Place your hand on your heart. Say: "I forgive the version of me who made this choice. She/he did the best they could with what they knew at the time.” Forgiveness isn’t about letting mistakes slide. It’s about resetting your emotional money field so you can co-create something new. 3. Create an Energetic Closing Ceremony for the Year This is where wealthy people truly separate themselves; they honor the transition. You can create your own year-end ceremony using whatever resonates from your spiritual toolkit. Here are a few ideas inspired by the intention-setting and clearing practices throughout my work: Light a candle Symbolize releasing the old year and calling in the new. Write a “completion list” Include everything you’re ready to release: debts you’re no longer carrying shame over, relationships you’re energetically cutting cords from, patterns you’re finished reenacting. Burn or bury the list This physical act tells the Universe: “I’m done living from this version of myself.” In The Emotion Behind Money , we explore how inherited beliefs and emotional patterns repeat until they are consciously released. This ceremony is your line in the sand. End with intention Close with one powerful intention for 2026, aligned from your heart: “I choose a new flow of abundance.” “I trust that money comes to me with ease.” “I allow myself to receive the wealth I’ve been working toward.” As The 4 Spiritual Laws of Money reminds us: “The Universe responds to action.” Your ceremony is your spiritual action. Ready to Step Into 2026 Aligned, Clear & Empowered? If you’re craving deeper support with your financial reset, join me for my Emotions Behind Money Workshop in January. If you’ve been feeling the nudge to recalibrate your relationship with money, this is your moment. Let’s make 2026 the year your inner wealth and your financial reality finally match. You deserve abundance and you’re closer than you think. With love, alignment & a whole lot of possibility, Julie ✨