LIVE LIFE ON PURPOSE
Hi, I’m Cristian.
Quick question — are you happy?
It’s a big question, I know.
A complicated one.
For many of us, the answer changes by the day.
It’s a question I’ve been asking myself for years.
During my six minutes of fame, I begged my classmates, teachers, and attending families to follow their dreams — to find their passion and chase it relentlessly.
Back in 2014, I gave the commencement speech at my high school graduation.
(Listen… #YOLO was very topical at the time.)
After graduating high school, I took my own advice. I packed up my life, moved to LA, and spent the next 10 years pursuing my dream — becoming a successful stand-up comedian and television writer in the process!
Oh, wait — no. Sorry, typo.
After graduating high school, I ignored my own advice. I quickly forgot about the speech, and instead of skipping town to follow my dreams, I decided to take a more… measured approach.
The Reality Check
I spent my 20s climbing the corporate ladder — always aiming for the next title or promotion.
Eventually, I switched my college major from Communications to Accounting.
I told myself I was just being practical.
Over time, my “work life” consumed more and more of my energy and attention.
I still did stand-up on the weekends, but I was performing less frequently.
Then, in 2020, the world changed.
Comedy clubs closed. Live events were canceled. I stopped performing completely.
I told myself I’d get back to it someday, but months turned into years.
If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be this:
Dreams don’t die all at once.
But they start fading the moment we stop chasing them.
Driving Without A GPS
Here’s what I’ve learned — with every step you take, your dream life either gets closer or further away.
And when you don’t have a clear dream in sight, life can feel like driving without a GPS.
You can head in any direction, but without a destination, you may just end up driving in circles.
In the Summer of 2025, I realized I’d been doing exactly that.
I had the job. The house. The financial stability.
Every box checked for “success”.
But I wasn’t happy.
After several years without a dream to guide me, I was driving in circles.
The Wake-Up Call
I wish I could tell you it was some grand revelation that changed me.
It wasn’t.
It was a surgery — and a few quiet weeks at home with nothing to do but think.
I thought about my career. I thought about the dreams I’d buried under work projects and deadlines. I thought about that speech I once gave to 4,000 people about the importance of following your passion.
I thought about the irony of it all — and I laughed.
It was the kind of laugh you do the moment you step out of a haunted house. A laugh of fear that quickly transforms into delight.
Because as painful as the realization was, what followed was a wave of relief and excitement as I realized —
My story wasn’t over. I still had the rest of my life ahead of me!
In that moment, the idea for The Happy Life Movement was born.
About The Movement
The Happy Life Movement is my journey to live life on purpose — to move with intention, to choose excitement over fear, and most importantly,
TO BUILD A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE READY TO DO THE SAME.
My goal for this project is to help 1,000 people (including you!) follow their dreams over the next 1,000 days. For real.
To be the friend who reminds you that you have the rest of your life ahead of you — and helps you make the most of it.
But a goal like that is not one that I can achieve on my own.
It requires a diverse community of people to come together and literally build a movement.
A movement grounded in the belief that a happy life is worth chasing.
Made up of individuals who choose to live each day with intention and purpose.
A community of people — dreamers, creators, and entrepreneurs — helping one another find their way by sharing real stories, hard-won lessons, and genuine connection.
So if you’re tired of living on autopilot —
If authenticity and passion have taken a backseat to your career, your comfort, or your fear —
If you’re ready to create a life that truly excites you —
You’re in the right place.
Welcome to The Happy Life Movement.
— Cristian Amaral, Founder