Monday Message – Is Everybody Happy?

Is Everybody Happy?

I recently read an article by Marketing Guru, Robert Middleton, who recently had to evacuate his home, fleeing the fires in California.  Robert is always an interesting writer, but this article was different because it addresses the question of:  Are we happy because we are successful OR are we successful because we are happy? 

During this time of COVID, it is very clear to us as a human potential company that people have been very stressed over the change in the way we all live and work.  Through our patented Stress Quotient Assessment through TTI Success Insights, we are able to measure the level of stress that a person is feeling at a moment in time.  These insights help us (and our clients) understand their level of stress, where it is coming from, and the potential impact on our being.

One of the things that stress us out is fearing that we won’t be successful and that all this “stuff” we are experiencing also makes us unhappy.  Robert gets it right when he states “it is what it is.”  And, when we can find peace in our lives, accept the things we cannot change, and understand that happiness doesn’t come from our success, but comes because we accept where we are at in this moment in time and we are ok with it.  Success also comes to us when we can clearly define and accept our accomplishments and that our success has had a positive impact on others.

Have a Great Week!

Jerry

Success or Happiness? By Robert Middleton

Monday, September 14, 2020

For a very long time I believed that if I was successful I would be happy. Or at least happier. So I got very good at being successful. Until I burned out. I was successful and unhappy. But I bought into the myth: Success will make you happy! What unmitigated crap!

Success is relatively easy: Intend what you want and work hard. But happiness is more elusive. How do you be happy if it has nothing to do with success? Then somebody told me the secret: Happiness is a matter of accepting what is. But our habitual addiction to having what is not (success) seems to get in the way. How hard is it to say, “What is happening now, what I have right now, is perfect as it is.” Try it. Harder than it seems, right? And I think it’s because that kind of thinking seems to negate striving for success. If I accept what is as it is, why would I want to work to succeed?

Well, why not have both? Success and happiness. Just don’t get confused that one leads to the other. Set intentions and work hard. Sometimes you’ll see success from your efforts, sometimes not. Then accept whatever happens. Be OK with whatever happens. Be happy with whatever happens. The results I get don’t need to determine my happiness.

Be successful. Be happy. But don’t confuse the two.

Cheers, Robert