The Journey of Happiness; there are no perfect recipes for balance

 

We have so many filters in our minds about how we think money should work, how we think business and family should work and so on.  Levels of happiness and fulfillment will be affected drastically based on these priorities and decisions. We should remember that we do this because we are taught concepts from a young age from our parents and a lot of what they think may have passed on to us as far as financial habits may go. The priorities we place on ordering finances and time spent with family will be put into action often times as a replica from our own childhood. If habits have a negative impact on our surroundings, we must break them.

Ann Miura-Ko says that life or death seed stage for the typical entrepreneur is hard. We must be passionate, in fact, so passionate that you think sacrifice is worth it. “When you leave the door to go to work, if you have a family, every day you are making that choice to leave your family and go to work, and if you don’t believe it is worth it you will have a crisis…” Therein lies a risk. The risk is to pull too much time away from your family. There is no true balance or recipe to handle life, but our actions need to distinguish between happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment.

“Overcoming challenges releases chemicals like dopamine in our brains that make us feel good.”2  Let’s face it, some life events out of your control. Studies have shown that genetics and outside events have a large impact on happiness, but where satisfaction is weighed, relationships matter most.

  

Happiness is not about how much money you have; however, having a job is very important to a family nucleus. The way we use our position in a community can lead to a more fulfilled and satisfied life though dedicating a portion of your efforts to service. “Obligations and constraints add more structure and meaning to life. You learn that giving is more satisfying than getting. Over time, a web of healthy relationships blossoms into a support system. Then you develop a reputation for helping others, a fragile treasure.” 4 According to this quote, relationship building is key in a happier life.  As expressed in the book titled, A Hero’s Journey, the real daily struggle is where you “use your most precious God-given gifts, in genuine service of others, as a way of transforming yourself, contributing something meaningful and reliably connecting with transcendent power.”5

“Intense focus lead to enjoyment rather than sensual pleasures. Obligations and constraints add more structure and meaning to life. You learn that giving is more satisfying than getting. Over time, a web of healthy relationships blossoms into a support system. Then you develop a reputation for helping others, a fragile treasure.”6 “Once your basic needs are satisfied, chasing more money, power, fame, beauty or sex will not lead to a happier life.” 7

I conclude with the topic of storytelling. It is great to have a story but we have to make sure it is an interesting story. Not all people have that. Just like Maggie Patterson says, “…If this story is the only one you’re telling, you’re missing the mark because you’re making it all about you. You’re not answering ‘what’s in it for me’ for your audience. There are so many ways to tell stories in your business, but if you’re going to use the Hero’s Journey, deconstruct it so you’re not telling an epic story, but a much more bite-sized one.”8 Not every story ends up being as dramatic as Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings. Being authentic is key and loving and learning from trials continues to guide this journey of achievement.

               

1 Richard Layard, Happiness: Lessons From A New Science. (New York, NY:

The Penguin Press, 2005)

2 Gregory Berns, Satisfaction: The Science of Finding Fulfillment (New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2005) 55.

3 Layard

4 Jonathan Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth In Ancient Wisdom (New York, NY: Basic Books, 2006) 33.

5 Joseph Campbell, The Hero’s Journey, 1949

6 Haidt

7 Richard Layard, Happiness: Lessons From A New Science. (New York, NY: The Penguin Press, 2005) 30,31.

8 Https://maggiepatterson.com/heros-journey-for-business-storytelling/