Happiness and the Road to Success :

Success is achieving what I set out to do. Happiness is a feeling. Pleasant, content, joyful, good. Many different things can give me happy feelings and some of them can be bought. Good food, tickets to some event, a new house, car, other things.

So if what I set out to do is construct a happy life I can gain on it by making enough money to buy stuff. Unfortunately, that will end up disappointing if I haven't taken care of the important part first. It is like buying expensive golf clubs before I learn how to play.

Happiness based on money is temporary and unreliable. New things quickly become old. What tastes good today is boring tomorrow. It rains on my round of golf, the flights to Heavenly Island are cancelled, my team stinks and loses badly.

Purchased sources of pleasure disappear when I am broke and cause guilt if I feel I should be spending this money on something more important. Bank accounts and retirement plans are subject to unexpected turns in the road of life too.

The free things that give me happy feelings are where the real value lives. Enjoying the company of people at home and at work. 

Forming habits that keep me feeling physically and mentally well. Making progress in both areas. These are things that cause happiness every day rain or shine.

I recently read that success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success. Good thought. Getting my mind to the place where I enjoy each day regardless of the inevitable troubles is a major step forward.

A frequent result of developing a good attitude is financial success. It's not instant but whether I am an employee, business owner, appointed or elected I get more done, relate better and end up being able to buy stuff. Add that to a life that I can't wait to get at each day and it's a pretty picture.

Lasting happiness is not only temporary pleasures. It is a state of mind.

I'm certain that high profile successful people in business, government, labor, religion, sports, entertainment, education or medicine include very few who don't like themselves or what they do.

How about the millions of successful people who are not well known? Not glamorous, rich, idolized but happy with their lives anyway?

Nobody has a perfect life but accepting our imperfect selves, dealing with fears and working to overcome weaknesses leads to more self respect and relaxation. Being unhappy doesn't come from lack of money, it comes from lack of effort.

Ken Lind is a veteran, husband, father, grandfather, marketing management major, corporate management and sales schools, toastmasters past president, top salesman, manager, successful business owner, writer, author. For more from Ken visit http://www.homework4success.com

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