Somewhere along the line, we come to the realization that nothing lasts forever; that it’s not clear how much time we have on this earth – and it is clear we have a limited time to work and make an impact; to work with people we love, to live with kids we enjoy. Someday, YOU too are going to DIE! If we’re lucky, we achieve our happiness goal before it’s too late.
Mature leaders realize their own mortality and take action to experience the rewards of a life lived in the here and now.
Are you in denial of the truth of aging and death? What are you avoiding, putting off, making more important than it needs to be? You know that being busy and accomplishing stuff is overrated. The fun of buying things is short-lived. I know your goal is not to lay dying saying, “Gee, I wish I spent more time at the office.”
Increasingly, and overwhelmingly, research into the nature of happiness is proving the things mentioned above, and points us to positive experiences, time with family, and relationships as the keys to happiness. Work on your PRESENCE – on being really with your employees, family, yourself – bringing your whole self to the leadership and live parties.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at any of the three items below to understand the science of happiness, and how you can use this information to your benefit – and the benefit of your business, your family, and your relationships.
- The Happy Secret to Better Work, a TED Talk video by Shawn Achor, PhD.
- Be Happy, But Don’t Worry So Much About It; The scientific pursuit of happiness, an article by Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD.
- Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, a book by Martin E. P. Seligman, PhD.
The pursuit of happiness is certainly a lofty goal but, like anything else, an obsessive focus on “being happy” can defeat your very purpose in pursuing it. Being positive frees your mind and makes you more productive; better able to focus on the things that truly matter, and providing you with the energy to achieve them.