Finding Happiness When Life Is Hard with Monique Rhodes

What does happiness look like when life is difficult? Meditation teacher, musician, and happiness strategist Monique Rhodes joins me for a conversation about mindfulness, daily habits, and making room for everything we feel. Hello, friends. For this very first episode, I’m so glad to introduce you to Monique. We talk about the experiences that brought her to meditation, how her practice supported her through serious illness, and what it means to feel grounded while still experiencing anger, grief, and uncertainty. We also get into why playing a game with a friend might deserve a place on the calendar. And since we’re both singers, we talk about music, performing, and what happens when something you love becomes your job. There’s a little backgammon, a little boogie boarding, and a lot to think about. CHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Monique Rhodes 01:03 What brought Monique to meditation 04:50 How her practice changed her life 08:21 What does it mean to be happy? 10:40 Making room for difficult feelings 14:19 Happiness habits and lasting change 16:40 Making time for play and connection 20:19 Music, performing, and doing what you love 24:54 Monique’s parting thought 27:18 Stay connected HELLO, FRIENDS EPISODES https://dailyflow.yoga/hello-friends-... CONNECT WITH MONIQUE Explore Monique’s work and find the happiness quiz we discuss: https://moniquerhodes.com/ ABOUT HELLO, FRIENDS Hello, Friends with James Donegan is a place for conversations about mindfulness and the unexpected ways our practices show up in everyday life. I’m a yoga teacher, actor, and singer, and I’m curious about how we carry what we practice into the lives we actually have. Explore Daily Flow Yoga + Meditation: https://dailyflow.yoga/video Get periodic Daily Flow updates: https://mailchi.mp/dailyflow/join-us If this conversation speaks to you, I hope you’ll follow Hello, Friends wherever you’re watching or listening and share this episode with a friend. Thank you for spending this time with us. Namaste. Content note: This conversation includes discussion of childhood trauma, depression, a past suicide attempt, and serious illness. Music: "Cinematic Fairy Tale Story" by Zakhar Valaha Music   / zvm