Happiness Project: Jenny Mannion of Heal Pain Naturally
The first time I met Jenny Mannion we were at the Steve Pavlina meetup in NYC. That’s the first time I’ve met her in person anyway, I’ve talked to her via e-mail several times before, so she was the first person I talked to when I got there.
Jenny’s story is quite extraordinary, because she has overcome adversity. She used to be bogged down by chronic pain, and the only solution that she was recommended was to “manage” the pain with constant painkillers. Jenny has found a way to use the Law of Attraction as well as other natural methods in order to completely free herself from the chronic pain. She writes about these techniques on her blog Heal Pain Naturally.
Since Jenny has little ones in the house, she encourages them to play educational video games. She does a bit of research and writes about these helpful games on her other site.
1. How do you define happiness?
I define happiness as feeling love radiate from your heart and soul. Like those moments when you can’t stop smiling even if for some silly reason you wanted to!
2. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your happiness now, versus when you were a child?
I’ve gone through so many phases as an adult and as a child. There were times in my childhood when I would have said my happiness was an 8 or 9 and as a teenager I think it dipped down to a 2. Now, I am a 10. Not everything is “perfect” but everything is as it should be. I KNOW who I am and I know I am heading for great things in all areas of my life — what’s better than that?!
3. What do you do on a daily basis that brings you happiness? (and how consistent is the feeling of happiness throughout your day)
I talk with my kids, my husband and my mom every day. These bring me tremendous happiness. I also write every day now that I started blogging whether it be a post or answering emails and this also brings me joy. My happiness is pretty consistent. There are things that will temporarily throw it off; computer bombing out, one of my kids being sick — but I am able to pretty quickly re-center now and “get over it”. My morning gratitude list is also something that ensures happiness.
4. What things take away from your happiness? What can be done to lessen their impact or remove them from your life?
“Energy Vampires” can take away my happiness. I am a very giving person by nature and love the people in my life. There are my friends where it is a very even exchange and there are those who truly zap me and give me very little in return. I need to limit extremely or cut out my contact with the energy vampires in my life.
5. What do you plan on doing in the future that will bring you even more happiness?
I plan on seeing my invention manufactured which will be bring me tremendous happiness because I have been working on it the last 3 years. I also plan on reaching out and touching as many lives as I can by telling my story and about how I healed. Through my story others become empowered to say “well if she can do it — so can I!” People healing themselves as I did? Nothing could bring me more joy than that!
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To get more info about what the Happiness Project is and isn’t, please visit the Introduction Post. To see a running list of all participants, which I will be updating as things happen, please visit the Happiness Project Page.
Posted by Alex Shalman in Happiness Project | February 29, 2008 | Digg | Del.icio.us | Stumble | Print | 6 comments
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Hi Alex, Thank you for your nice intro and for posting my response to your Happiness Project. You had some truly amazing people participating and I am honored to be “wrapping it up”.
It has been a great pleasure getting to know you and I look forward to us celebrating each other’s MANY future successes! Thanks Alex for your friendship and posting this! Gratefully, Jenny
“Energy Vampires” is a great term. I call these people “Eeyores” and have started to avoid them or tune them out as much as possible. Isn’t just amazing how fast someone like that can drain you and ruin your whole day?
I have gotten most energy vampires out of my life. My big group of friends from high school has shrunk considerably, and the only people I really make an effort to see now are not energy vampires. There are so many people in the world that by being around people who aren’t positively contributing to your life you are settling. You owe it to yourself to have people in your life, who are consciously trying to better their lives and the lives of the people around them, while you do the same.
Absolutely. I do try to help people out when possible, or at least listen when they need a friend. However, some people seem to genuinely enjoy their misery and they try to make you miserable along with with. There just aren’t enough hours in the day for that!
Hi, I TRY and I definitely have become more aware and limit my time around Energy Vampires or Eeyores (GREAT way of looking at it)…. my difficulty is I want to help everyone…. I’ve always been the advice giver hence my new training as a life-coach seems like a “GREAT IDEA” to everyone who I mention it to. I found myself visiting a forum a few weeks back where it seemed like a “pity contest” and after a couple of times I was able to feel it physically draining me and to say “no more”. I stated twice how I saw how people could help themselves and it is up to them now to decide whether or not to take my advice.
I am doing the same in my personal life. If someone honestly wants to change but just doesn’t know how — I WANT to show them and see the change when they finally “get it” and realize that their feelings and words affect EVERYTHING. But if a person just honestly likes to be miserable and cannot fathom real change — I know they are not someone that I can spend time with.
Jenny
Btw, sorry Jenny, you didn’t wrap it up, I added another interview that I’ve been waiting for, for a very long time. You’re still awesome though =) hehe