About The Author

What Stress and Anxiety Taught Me About Happiness

change does not always come easy

When I decided to start a blog about happiness, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t write my story like most of the other authors did:

Telling how they went through some really hard times and came out stronger and wiser than ever before.

The circumstances they went through in their lives were in fact the key to why they were here now, telling us their story and how to avoid the same mistakes they did.

While there is inherently nothing wrong with this type of storytelling, and I have no reason to doubt that most of the authors whose stories I’ve read went through some real struggles in their lives, it still just sometimes comes up as somewhat… insincere.

I mean, it’s as if there was a certain formula of storytelling that they all followed.

A formula that someone sells and says: “just copy this formula and you’ll get readers”.

I’m not saying it is so, but that’s the way it feels to me after reading so many similar stories.

Or at least that’s the way I felt a while ago, but then it was time to launch my blog and tell my story.

Can you guess where I’m going with this?

"often the greatest growth comes through experiences we would at the time describe as painful. It’s called ‘Kensho’ in the Buddhist tradition. Growth by pain."

Kensho - Growth By Pain

Now that I’m about to tell my story, I find it to be just like the ones I’ve read from the authors of so many other blogs, books, courses… you name it.

So much for being unique and not sticking to the same formula (although I try not to follow a specific formula).

WHY is it this way? Why is my story so similar to the stories of others?

There’s an important lesson to be learned here.

Nothing in life happens by accident.

The people, places, and experiences are all there for us to express who we are. We attract just the right circumstances around us to grow into the grandest version of the greatest vision we have about who we are.

The thing is, that often the greatest growth comes through experiences we would at the time describe as painful. It’s called ‘Kensho’ in the Buddhist tradition. Growth by pain.

I’ve had two major Kensho moments in my life and of course several smaller ones, but the point here is that this, to me, explains the similarity of the stories I’ve read as it also explains why my story is just like the others.

It is through these ‘Kensho’ moments that our lives are propelled to something we previously could not even dream of.

It is through the greatest of pains that we remember who and what we really are and what we can become. It has happened to so many others who have chosen to tell their story and it has happened to me.

The author

My name is Atte Nissinen, a freelance writer and a personal growth enthusiast on a mission to help people feel happier about themselves and their lives.

Hailing from Finland, the happiest country in the world, I present to you ideas about how you can change your perception of the world around you and your view of your place in it. I’ll also share insight about the happiness that growing up in this harsh northern climate has given me.

There might not be a single way, let alone a quick and easy solution, to being happy. Finding happiness could take time and dedication. But if you commit and put in the time, you will find out what works for you in terms of living a happier life.

If you’ve already read the blog and familiarized yourself with the spiritual aspect of it, this may surprise you:

I consider myself a man of science. Ever since I was a young boy I was fascinated by how the world works and took every available physics, maths and chemistry course at school.

I was good at said sciences and was considering a career in engineering. Science, to me, has always been the thing I trust most when describing how things happen in our universe.

At the same time, I felt that the more I studied science, the more I felt that there must be something more to this. How things work and how everything in our universe intertwines together is so intricate, so complex, that I knew that western science simply cannot answer every question about the very foundation of our existence.

"I feel as though life is a fun adventure, not a struggle"

So after concentrating on studying the physical world at school with the help of sciences such as maths, physics and chemistry, the following 20 years I spent studying “the other side of the coin”, which I will label the spiritual world. A journey which continues to this day.

I read books on Buddhist monks, shamanism, witchcraft, and magic (for manifesting) and then the classic books such as think and grow rich by Napoleon Hill. I tried practices such as meditation, lucid dreaming, visualisation and yoga.

What I found out, is that they all tell the same story from different perspectives.

Spirituality and science do not contradict each other, they just describe different aspects of our universe. How the world, and your life, works is thus very much a matter of perspective.

But no matter what perspective on life we choose to take, there’s no doubt that these so-called “spiritual practices” have had a profound impact on my life.

I find myself able to live a life with very little stress and worry.

I feel excited about life and expect amazing things to happen.

I feel as though life is a fun adventure, not a struggle.

I am finally happy and as I now share everything I know, I hope you can be happy (on demand) too.

Even though there may not be the one universally right way to live your life let alone find happiness, don’t worry. There are a lot of options and with time you will find what works for you.

You can learn the secrets of happiness too

What I have learned from my experiences is compressed into 67 pages of essential happiness information.

I went through some really tough times in my search for happiness and my hope is that this book will help you avoid any unhappiness, stress, anxiety or even depression that your current circumstances may cause.

It’s 100 % free and you get access to it instantly. Grab your copy by filling the form below.

Learn How to Turn Stress and Anxiety into Happiness

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    my story

    What Does It Take To Be Happy?

    Have you ever wondered what it takes to be happy? 

    You’ve worked hard to achieve your goals. You went to high school, then a university. Getting good grades was important to you. That, they said, is the key to getting a good job. After you get the job, work your ass off and advance through the ranks in the company. Get promotions. Earn more. Commit to your career. Then get the other aspects of your perfect life in order. Buy a big house and an expensive car. Start a family. Make sure your neighbours are envious of you.

    Whatever point on that journey you may be, it does not matter. 

    You do not feel happy, even though you’re doing everything right. 

    “Why is this not working? I’m following my dreams, I’m doing everything I’m told! What does it take to finally be happy?!”

    No matter what the circumstances are in your life, there’s always this nagging feeling that something is missing and that you need to be happy.

    I’ve certainly had my share of that feeling. That’s exactly how my life was.

    I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy my life from time to time. I went to college and got a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Landed a job at a corporate bank, where I worked as a key account manager. Life was (supposed to be) pretty sweet. I had the car I wanted. I was surrounded by amazing people. We went to parties, travelled, and had fun. Financially I was pretty secure.

    Even with all this, there was always a feeling in the back of my mind that I still wasn’t happy. I was always waiting for something more, something different. “This is cool and all, but I’m still going to need that raise if I want to buy a house”, “Sure, I have lots of relationship opportunities, but what about starting a family?”.

    There was always something missing. I just couldn’t be happy in the moment.

    Then one day a realisation hit me: I am not happy. Why am I not happy? There’s no reason for me not to be happy. What is this all about?

    I started to wonder what would it take to be happy. That I would call the first step on my journey to finding happiness. 

    "There was always something missing. I just couldn’t be happy in the moment."

    Depression And Suicide: The Side-Effects Of Modern Way Of Living

    The second step on my journey was a more painful one. My brother suffered from depression for most of his adult life. Now that I look back on those times, I was in denial about the matter and could not accept that things were worse than they seemed.

    Whenever I met my brother he always seemed so happy and outgoing. Sure he had his hardships in life, but it did not occur to me that he really might need professional help.

    When the time came that he did seek help, the healthcare system, unfortunately, failed him, as he was deemed healthy enough to not gain any professional guidance for his depression.

    So he committed suicide, which ironically enough is a common cause of death in Finland, the happiest country in the world.

    To be clear, I don’t blame anyone for his untimely demise. Not myself, my family or the healthcare professionals who deemed him healthy enough to not receive therapy. But this event is one of the main reasons why I decided to start this blog.

    It just doesn’t feel right to me that anyone should be so sad and depressed that they see no way out, other than taking their own life. There should always be an option. There is always a choice.

    Unfortunately, depression is all too common in my family, in Finland and all over the world. But seeing depression up close made me think how lucky I am to avoid it. 

    Although luck has nothing to do with it, since over the years of studying different practices to master my mind, I had learned the right mindset and all the tools to get rid of stress and anxiety and avoid falling into depression. 

    I did not understand the significance of what I knew at the time, since I was still trying to make the most out of my career and life in general. The things I had learned while studying ‘spiritual practices’ and living in close proximity to depression, would knit together in a neat little package much later. Only now is it obvious to me that I should share everything I know.

    "What was I passionate about? What did I want to do with my life?"

    What Is The Meaning Of Life?

    As is often the case, hindsight is 20/20. So it was with the next big revelation on my journey to happiness as well. I guess I could call it the third step for the sake of continuity, but I wasn’t counting.

    While searching for the next breakthrough in my personal growth journey, I stumbled upon the work of Michael Bernard Beckwith. His story is an interesting and inspiring one, you can find out more on his website

    One (out of many) important thing I picked up from Michael was that I never even stopped to think about why I was here (on earth, on the “physical plane”). Or to put it more concretely, what was I passionate about? What did I want to do with my life?

    Did I have a purpose for being here on this plane of physical existence? If so, what was that purpose? 

    What’s the meaning of life?

    In this instance the meaning of life concerning specifically my life.

    Pondering this question for weeks, late one night after going to bed and just about to fall asleep, I decided to do a quick meditation on the subject of my purpose. I didn’t even expect anything, set out no intention, but instead asked a single question in my mind.

    “What is my purpose?”

    To my surprise, I received an answer.

    “Help.”

    It felt weird because it was different from conscious thought. This thought just “appeared out of nowhere” to my mind. It’s very hard to explain, but if you have experienced something similar, just knowing something instantly without conscious thought, you might know what I’m on about.

    It was not a plea for help, but a very clear statement that has stuck with me ever since.

    Did I receive an answer from the universe or did my subconscious mind just make it up? It didn’t matter, I knew at that moment that I needed to pursue this goal.

    Still, it wasn’t very helpful.  Whom was I meant to help? How would I help whomever I was supposed to help?

    I pondered some more and life went on. It took another two or so years to get clear on any details.

    If you are interested, check out the details on the About Happiness On Demand page

    Out of these experiences, this blog was born. I learned how to live my life and how to frame the circumstances in it.

    I learned at long last that happiness is a choice.

    On this website, I want to share with you everything I have picked up along my journey and help you find your path to happiness.

    4 Essentials For More Happiness

    Learn How to Turn Stress and Anxiety into Happiness

      By downloading the eBook you agree to join Happiness On Demand mailing list.

      We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

      Built with ConvertKit

      Gratitude Leads To Happiness

      Practicing gratitude is a great way to learn positive thinking and boost your happiness.

      We often forget how many things in life we have to be grateful for. Having some form of gratefulness practice in your life will help you develop a positive mindset and a positive outlook on life.

      Being consistent with the practice can even help you consciously choose your thoughts!

      Journaling even once or twice a week can go a long way in developing this practice.

      Read More

      Focus On Happiness

      Meditation is a powerful tool for habitually redirecting your thoughts and training your mind to focus.

      You can (and I encourage you to) use it to become aware of your thoughts, therefore learning to focus on positive thoughts and desired outcomes. This is an excellent way to reduce stress and develop concentration.

      You can also use meditation to train your mind to pick up healthy habits, such as improved sleeping patterns, eating healthier, exercising more etc. 

      Read More

      Change Your Beliefs - Change Your Life

      Do you believe you deserve to be happy? You might say yes, but subconsciously you may believe you do not.

      Your beliefs about life in general, and your life in particular, lie at the core of your happiness. It is therefore of utmost importance to be aware of your beliefs and change the ones that do not serve you.

      But beliefs can be a tricky bunch. What we think we believe may actually differ from what we really believe.

      Read More