Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to season four, the last season of the first year of Happy Rebel, and we are greeting Autumn with a Cheshire Cat grin. Autumn and spring are my two favorite seasons, not just because of the weather. I love sweater weather that allows for open-toed shoes, but because these seasons are intentional. We plant and then we harvest. We have to be thoughtful and thorough and present and purposeful during these times, especially in an election year. And make no mistake, rebellion is intentional. It might look chaotic, but it is deliberate as fuck. This is the Happy Rebel Podcast. Prepare to alter your attitude about what being happy actually is, and undo the anger and fear that got us here. I'm Sandra Ann Miller, aka The Happyist, your certified guide to eudaimonic well-being. WTF is that? It's the key to getting unstuck and having what you truly want. Imagine a planet full of authentically happy people. Exactly. Change your life, change the world. Are you ready to get happy and disrupty? Let's go. In spring and autumn, we feel most alive, right? Summer, you say? Does the sweltering heat and humidity make you feel alive? Not me. And it's not like LA doesn't have enough going on with our seasons of earthquake, fire, flood, and landslide. Now we have humidity. Thanks, El Nino. So no, summer is officially off the list. We just have to survive it. With a big sweaty thanks to all of those who continue to participate in activities and behaviors that contribute to climate change. Hope you enjoy your melted trophy. Winter, it's nice and all, but I'm not a big fan. Its focus is on the holidays, and that focus is on buying shit we don't need and really can't afford. So the faster it's over, the happier I am. As we are on the other side of the equinox now, I would like to invite you to get intentional this autumn, especially in October, to create a shift that is meaningful. We pretty much have now through the week before American Thanksgiving, yes, America, other countries celebrate a Thanksgiving and not on the same day as ours, to take the time to really focus on ourselves before everything goes topsy-turvy with the holidays and all that craziness that ensues from there. What are your intentions for how you want to round out this crazy futhermucker of a year? Because this Year of the Double Fire Horse has been absolutely batshit, and I've loved it. It has stressed me the fuck out, absolutely. What's going on globally is more than I can handle on most days. What we're dealing with here in the US, constant enragement. But along with all of that, we have to live our lives, and it's imperative that we focus on creating what we want to exist now and in our future. I say with intention that I fully acknowledge we are living in a total fucking shit show. However, planning for what's next is crucial because this too shall pass. And it will pass much more quickly if we take our rage and alchemize it to something better. Because anger and fear got us here. Staying pissed off and afraid doesn't make for positive, productive change. Yes, Johnny Rotten, I agree with you. Anger is an energy, but it can also wear us out. So how can we be productive and proactive during a time like this? What changes can we make to make the world a better place? Happiness. I know, I can feel that cringe from here, but suck it up, Buttercup, because it's the effing truth. Eudaimonic well-being, the ultimate wellness, will shift us in the ways we need to be shifted with certainty, emotional stability, and resilience. But who can be happy at a time like this? Well, me, and hopefully you. That doesn't mean ignoring what's going on or being numb to it. It's a both situation. I am super fucking pissed off and I'm happy. That is being intentionally happy. That's happy with a middle finger flying. If we don't shift ourselves into a better place, into a higher energy, into a more stabilized level of consciousness, we aren't contributing to the solution, to the resolution, or to the revolution. We're fanning the flames of our current dumpster fire, whether we intend to or not, by being stuck in the neg. If we are frozen by our fear andor anger, if we feel like we're just spinning our wheels, if we're sitting at home doom scrolling and giving up because you know, clearly we're screwed, what is that doing for us? Nothing. When I say happiness is punk as fuck, I mean it. It is rebellious to the max because they want us angry, they want us scared, mostly scared. They want us to feel like we have no power. Darling, we have all the power. We just haven't gathered together to consolidate it yet. We will, don't worry. That's what voting is for, and that's what they're really afraid of. They are terrified of us being this pissed off and going to the polls. So they're already trying to rig it, and they've been very open about this. I'm not even being conspiratorial or paranoid. They have been explicit in their plans. That doesn't mean don't vote. That means vote hard. That means being intentional about it. Figure out the best and safest way for you to do it, to make a difference, to use your power. And I'm asking you, pretty, pretty please, with sugar on top. Don't feed into this fear that they're serving you. Instead, be intentional about what you want next, both local for you and global for the many. The future is not already written. We are not doomed. That's just what they want you to believe. It makes for a compliant flock. Yes, it does feel super fucking shitty a lot of the time. So let's do what we can to change that. Change is coming if we are intentional. I know it feels pretty terrible right now, but let's look at it this way. If birth is painful, not only for the mother, it can't be too pleasant for the baby either. If it's a painful process for all involved, why would we think that rebirth would be comfortable? Rebirth is painful, it's exhausting, it's scary, and it feels like we're never going to get that first deep breath on the other side. But we will. We have to be patient, productive, and proactive. And that is done by being intentional. I'll ask again, what is your intention for the remainder of this year? Are you intending to vote? You better say yes. If you're listening to this podcast, you better say yes. That is the whole effing point of being a happy rebel. Be rebellious enough to show up and vote because it does matter. It absolutely does. Your life does depend on it. And if you don't believe that, take a look around at what happens when a bunch of people don't vote or they vote without intention. This is what we get. An all-you-can-eat buffet of turd burgers. Had enough yet? I sure have. So let's make sure we are intentional AF. Do the research. No, not AI. That is not intentional. That's lazy. Do your own research with reliable sources and figure out your plan. Double check that you're still registered. Don't go to some weirdo site. Make sure it's some sort of gov site for your state. And that alone is a lot to do right now. A lot of intentional focus. I'm proud of you for doing that. Cheers. After that, there's nearly three months left of 2026. It will go quick. How would you like the rest of it to be? Better question, how would you like to be in it? And this is where we can let ourselves down unintentionally. From Thanksgiving forward, we are swept up in a rush. We feel overwhelmed, short on time, and we make no room for being intentional. What if we changed that? What if we made a point when we are overwhelmed and short on time to be intentional? Stop and reconnect. Set an intention, make priorities, be purposeful and productive. What would that look like to you? Imagine what it would feel like too. It's not that it takes a whole lot of time to be intentional. You don't have to sit down with a notebook and map it out or light a candle and meditate on it. You just need to take a breath and make a plan. That takes what, three seconds, four? Even if you do that 20 times a day, that's still about a minute of your time, which I think is totally worth it. On my Substack in October, I'll be helping us get more intentional with a focus post each week. These aren't steps, but layers that will help us feel more confident and in control as we move through Q4 by being intentional. And for new paid subscribers, I'm offering a 30-minute private consultation. The offer is limited to the first 22 subs and ends on October 31st. It doesn't cost us to be intentional. The price is paid when we are unintentional. So let's get very effing deliberate for the rest of the year and see where that takes us. I have a feeling it's someplace much, much better. And I can already feel that shift. Can you? Thanks for listening to the Happy Rebel Podcast. Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook at Happy Rebel Podcast. To help this podcast grow, be sure to like, share, and subscribe. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and DM me a screenshot of it on Insta, along with your preferred email address to get a free month of The Happyist Substack and a discount on a paid subscription. All this info, show notes, and more are available at www.happy rebel podcast.com. Until next time, stay safe, happy, and disrupty.