Happiness is a state of mind

This Monday Mattias and Svea are trying out a new idea. The plan, for now, is to have more personal conversations on Mondays, answering a variety of questions regarding different topics.

Why don’t people go for their dreams?

Mattias shares that something that stopped him personally from pursuing his dreams was being scared. He listened a lot to other people's opinions and compared himself with others, which paralyzed him in his decisions. He was stuck with his own excuses and did not take action. He needed to learn to accept himself in order to reach his goals.

When Svea mentions the aspect of finances possibly playing a role for people hesitating to realize their visions, Mattias disagrees with money being an actual reason to hold someone back. He explains how in the early years a lot of people told him, that it would be quite easy for him to start a company because he didn't have kids, no house - no bigger financial responsibilities. What people did not see, he says, was that he sacrificed a lot - to make it happen. He consciously decided to not buy a house and to rather sell his apartment instead. He slept in his first office, between a wine cellar and a garbage room.
He emphasizes that if you want to pursue something you must be able to understand the difference between your excuses and what you are actually afraid of.

Do you believe in giving a 2nd chance?

If he can see that someone has self-awareness and learned from his or her mistakes, Mattias is willing to give second chances. He also mentions that when looking back, he has given a lot of second, third, and more chances. At that time he did not see himself worthy of something better and had a higher tolerance for other people's behavior and attitudes. He needed to develop more self-awareness and confidence to be able to set clear boundaries and let people know when they crossed them for good.

Who or what inspires you?

Mattias explains that he does not have an idol or anything alike per se. He thinks feeling "inspired" is a choice you make. He believes that the key to inspiration is to actually understand yourself first. Nowadays it is really easy to scroll down your Instagram feed trying to fill yourself up with inspiration, but if you don't truly know yourself first, nothing will happen.

Svea contributes that she believes that inspiration can be found in many things. Inspiration doesn't have to be found in another person, it could also be found in the small things in life, like a single line of a book that simply clicks for you.

Is happiness a state of mind?

For Mattias happiness is a state of mind, but he believes that you need to make the decision to nurture it. It is really easy for him to get carried away and only focus on negative things and he has to make an effort to push these thoughts aside in order to achieve a positive mindset.

What's your answers to these questions? 😃