Happiness

Living a remote and wilderness lifestyle, something in us remembers a different way of living – slower, more intentional, closer to what actually matters. The book “Happiness” by Cheryl Rickman feels like the written version the lifestyle we get to live everyday. It explains that while part of our happiness is rooted in genetics and circumstances, a large part is created by the choices we make every day – how we choose to show up for ourselves, for others and for the land. Out here, that theory becomes real when we work together removing burdock, go for a horseback ride or when we share our appreciations and realise we are not just consuming an experience, we are pro-actively creating your life.

The book talks about three dimensions of happiness: the simple joy of the moment, the deeper meaning that comes from contributing to something bigger than yourself, and the quiet sense that your life, in general, is on the right track. Living a wilderness lifestyle, we experience all three all day long, from feeding the animals and connecting with them, counting wildlife or pulling invasive plants for conservation, then falling asleep knowing that our time here actually matters for this place and for who we are becoming. That is where hedonic, eudaemonic and cognitive happiness meet: in the dusty boots by the door, the journal on our bunk, and the decision to live by our own values instead of society’s expectations.

The book “Happiness” is clear: happiness is not about feeling good all the time; it is about learning to walk with our whole emotional landscape this includes the fear when riding on an unknown trail, the frustration when we don’t “get it” the first time and the excitement when we finally do. In our wilderness community we see this every season. New members arrive from the “ordinary world” with city habits and old stories about who they are; then the first steep climb, long workday or honest feedback conversation becomes their Call to Adventure. They meet mentors, test their limits and discover that the challenges which once felt like proof they were “not enough” are actually the gatekeepers to confidence, self trust and a more grounded happiness just like the book outlines.

Over and over, the book returns to relationships, community and belonging as the deep roots of wellbeing. That is exactly what grows when we haul firewood together in the rain, fix the creek water system side by side, or sit around the dinner table sharing the day’s wins and lessons. Here, belonging is not given as a label; it is built through contribution. As we move from guest to active participant, from consumer to creator, we feel the shift the book describes: happiness as something we generate by giving our time, effort and care to people and place and the joy we receive from it.

The pages of the book are full of practical tools – gratitude, realistic optimism, identifying strengths, creating flow, setting goals, mindfulness, movement and self compassion – and they read like a manual for how we already live out here. Gratitude becomes the habit of naming three things we are thankful for while watching the sun set behind the peaks. Flow happens when we realise we lost track of time tracking wildlife or working with the horses, completely absorbed in the task. Goals are not abstract; they sound like “I want to learn how to use the chainsaw,” “I want to guide a trip,” or “I want to feel at home in my own skin,” and every chore, ride and community meeting becomes a step on that path.

Nature is one of the book’s main pillars towards happiness and described as a free antidepressant, a teacher, a mirror. Anyone who has ridden into a high alpine basin, drunk from a cold mountain stream or felt their worries shrink under a sky full of stars knows what those pages are talking about. Out here, the distance from cell service is the distance from many of the stressors that kept us stuck. In their place, we find the quiet space to hear our own thoughts, to feel our own body again, and to notice how being small in a big landscape can actually make us feel more connected, not less.

In the end, the Happiness Book describes a life that is compassionate, curious and consciously chosen from the inside out – not defined by likes, titles or other people’s expectations. That is the same life we are building together in our wilderness community with our Six Principle Philosophy of Nature Connection, Nature Conservation, Personal Development, Self Sufficiency, Empowerment and Consciousness and Awareness. Each person who comes here steps into their own Hero’s Journey: they leave the ordinary world, answer their call to change, face tests, find allies, and return with an elixir – a new mindset, new skills and a deeper happiness they can carry back into whatever world they choose next.

If this vision of happiness resonates with you, the next step is yours. You can start at home with our Online Course “Trail to Happiness”. Or come and live it with us on a wilderness trip, as a volunteer, or through our Wilderness Lifestyle Experience, where every day becomes part of your Hero’s Journey. And whenever you need to reconnect to that feeling, you can listen to our Happiness Music album and remember that the trail back to yourself is always open.