What is Happiness?

Late last night I was listening to an interesting audio compilation from Earl Nightingale.

The title was How to be Happy “before" Success…

Earl Nightingale, for those of you new to personal development, was a well known personal development thought leader recognized for his Gold Record, The Strangest Secret among other things.

I enjoyed all the amazing insights that he shared, but ultimately there were a few key points I thought it might be nice to highlight for you today.

But first, here are a couple of his well known quotes on happiness…

 "Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it.  The time will pass anyway."

 "Success (Happiness) is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.”

 “Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”

Earl, in his audio, asked the question…Would you like to know how to be Happy?

He said so many people are chasing a destination, and yet happiness is within your reach every single day.  Ultimately we are truly seeking positive emotions in life and emotions are simply a state of being that you can control.

He went on to say that one of the most brilliant men of our time is a guy named John Stuart Mill and John had some great wisdom when it came to happiness.

John Stuart Mill said, “those only are happy that have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness.; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means, but as itself an ideal end.  Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness by the way.”

I think this is a very good point to bring up, because it seems to me that most of us are not living the happiest versions of our lives due to problems, situations, circumstances, and things that are almost entirely about…US.  I’ve found that when I take the focus off myself and direct it toward others, happiness has a funny way of finding you.

My Partner Robert Stuberg mentions that the Founding Fathers of the Constitution may have done us a disservice by putting these words in the constitution…. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that amount these are Life, Liberty, and the PURSUIT of Happiness…

I really think that the key to Happiness is to stop chasing it and start living your life in service to others.  Ironically enough, this is also a massive key to success.

Finding and identifying your Unique Talent and sharing it with the world is the surest recipe for both Success and Happiness. 

When you simply take your talents and find ways to fill needs and serve others, you will find a huge amount of satisfaction, happiness, and frankly success.

Think back to times in your life when you were the happiest.  Most likely, these are times that you were sharing, serving, or focused on others and not yourself.  I challenge you to shift your focus toward others rather than yourself. 

Jim Carrey was giving a commencement address one time and was quoted as saying, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of, so they can see that it’s not the answer to happiness.”

I could go on and on, but the ultimate thought I want to leave you with is this…

The key to Fulfillment in this life is not Having what you want, it's wanting what you have.  It's also about leaving to accept and embrace that idea that…

It's not about Achieving Happiness, it’s about Happily Achieving.

It’s not easy with all the distractions and competition in the world, but if you will simply remember to take the focus off you and place it on others, I think you will see much greater happiness in your life.

Earl Nightingale got it right when he said How to be Happy BEFORE Success will ultimately bring you both.

Thanks for listening.  Have a great week.

George Wright III

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