100 Pedals

Significant Outcomes in the Face of Adversity

## How to find what you are looking for

November 14, 2025 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

We cannot have, do, receive or create in others what does not exist within us first.

Everything we seek — love, affirmation, leadership, approval — must first be discovered from within before it can be fully integrated into our life. Once that essential component exists internally, is understood and assimilated into one’s being, only then will a person be in a powerful position to truly receive it from and share it with others.

How many times have we heard “Happiness starts from within” or “Home is where the heart is” or “You cannot find love until you love yourself first“? Each of these sayings and many more like them are a reminder what we seek in others we must first find in ourselves. As each of us look to others to help us find, discover, celebrate or enjoy those aspects we desire most in our lives, the stark reality is that no one can give us what we haven’t already given ourselves first. Now what? How can I find, discover or create that which is missing from within? Like everything it is a process.

- Start by identifying those qualities, aspects, or traits you are looking for in another person.
- Examine your behaviors, self-talk, and actions and evaluate your personal performance in your own life to those qualities.
- Identify the gaps and define the actions you are going to begin to take that will improve on your own personal performance.
- Create a standard by which you will begin to treat yourself and help yourself achieve.
- Put the action plan to work, make changes along the way, while celebrating and measuring your progress.
- After a while, you will be living your life in the manner you desire and giving you what you need most.
- Since you are not looking for “it” anymore, you will not be searching it out.
- When you stop looking for “it” you will find what you are looking for in others and you will be drawn towards those people that exemplify what you valued most. The difference is, you now know what it really is and how it truly manifests itself in your life.

Each of us is responsible for who we are and where we are going. While components of our journey take on paths where we seek in others what cannot find in ourselves, we will not find what we are looking for in others until we first find it within us. It is only then that we can appreciate this gift in others and allow their gifts to manifest themselves within us.

Filed Under: Celebrating Accomplishment, Embrace Responsibility Tagged With: discovering happiness, discovery, finding answers, finding happiness, finding joy, finding love, happiness, leadership, love, the quest

## Pursuing Happiness

March 19, 2025 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

“Happiness is not a station you arrive at but a manner of travelling” - Margaret Leen Runbeck

Most of my life, I pursued happiness as an outcome. I sought it out in the people I surrounded myself with, the job or title I had, the money I made, the trips I took, the car I drove, the goals I set for myself, or in my continued quest for affirmation or approval. When I reached a level of accomplishment relating to these things, I momentarily celebrated the bliss of my arrival only to start over in my perpetual pursuit of happiness.

I was confusing the achievement of an objective or the realization of an outcome with the occurrence of happiness. Achieving a goal or celebrating a significant accomplishment or enjoying a particular acquisition provides a wonderful source of joy or happiness. Because life moves on, so will that moment of happiness.

The arrival of a momentary dose of celebratory happiness is an awesome experience. The exhilaration of that moment creates tremendous energy and can generate tremendous momentum or forward motion. While continuous and perpetual achievement is amazing, it also can be a daunting task. For if one can only find happiness in the accomplishment, life is filled with a series of milestone celebrations and little joy in between.

The journey of life is long. It is not defined in a single moment, but in a series of lessons, experiences, events, and accomplishments. Not all of these events are going to be easy, fun, or celebrated at the time. Yet every day we have the opportunity to enjoy and celebrate who we are, what we are doing, where we are going, who we are touching and how we are loving.

Happiness is finding joy and peace in the world we are living in today and enjoying the journey we are on as we pursue our vision for our life and the celebrated accomplishments along the way. If arrival at a destination is your only source of happiness, you are missing out on numerous opportunities to enjoy, celebrate and relish moments everyday.

Each day, each interaction, and every little accomplishment are part of the journey of life. Be happy in the moment. Be happy with your progress. Find happiness in the journey. When you celebrate the journey, you will appreciate the outcomes of your efforts even more.

Filed Under: Celebrating Accomplishment, Inspirational Perspectives, Live With Passion Tagged With: being happy, celebrating life, celebrating life's journey, celebrating the journey of life, choosing happiness, discovering happiness, happy living, living happy, loving happiness. happiness is living, Margaret Leen Runbeck