In your life, is success more important than happiness?
Consider this: Does happiness lead to success, or does success lead to happiness? Most of us believe that if we work hard, we will get good grades in school, get accepted into a reputable university, graduate, and find a good job, which will make us happy. But is that really the case? Here inSelMagzwe will explain this further.
Many studies in neuroscience and psychology show that happiness leads to higher productivity, more benefits, and greater success. In other words, being successful does not necessarily make you happy. After all, most of us know someone who is successful in their job and has a substantial bank account but is not happy.
The ironic point is that many of us work hard because we believe it will make us happy. We want to earn more money, buy a bigger house, have a nicer car, and we consider all these reasons for happiness. Often, when we reach our goals successfully, we realize that this onlybrings us temporary happinessand leads to a renewed feeling of emptiness.
Think about that new car you purchased; you probably experienced some momentary joy when driving it. After a while, the happiness from owning and driving that car quickly diminishes, and it no longer brings excitement or satisfaction. The same applies to a new job, a promotion, a new house, new clothes, an expensive watch, and so on.
Material wealth is often used as a measure of success. However, many people with material wealth are not happy. Most of these individuals have higher education, acceptance into good universities, good jobs, and have worked hard to acquire nice things. All of this has been in the hope of happiness, only to realize that the happiness derived from their success is fleeting and temporary.
The pursuit of happiness does not end with success because human goals are always changing. As soon as one achieves a good job, they look to get promoted; once they buy a nice car, they start looking for a new house, and so forth.
Human goals never truly end and are continuously evolving—in other words, it’s a game that never ends. According to experts, if you focus on being happy first, you will be more successful, which makes perfect sense. Every aspect of your life, from business to education to relationships, will improve when you are happy and mentally positive.
Happiness is a positive state of mind that can be cultivated through daily practice. Just like dailymuscle trainingat the gym. A person can train their brain to be more positive and happy.
Every aspect of our lives improves when we are happy, including our work ethics and productivity. Happy people even earn more and have greater influence. In fact, happiness is a kind of mindset or work ethic, and we find ourselves under stressand discomfortwhile striving to achieve our next goals. Therefore, through happiness, we can achieve calmness,positive thinkingand satisfaction. When a person is happy, they make better decisions and have a better mood.
Ways to be happy
So how does one become a happy person? In this section of SelMagz, we will introduce effective principles that can help you achieve greater happiness:
1- Practice daily gratitude
Spending time each day focusing on the positive aspects of life is a powerful method for appreciation, gratitude, and increasing happiness. As mentioned before, there are many positive aspects of life that can be chosen and appreciated.
Set aside a specific hour each day (preferably twice a day) to list the things you are grateful for. This could be an amazing dinner you had, a fruitful meeting at work, or moments spent with family and friends. Take a few minutes to do this to cultivate positive feelings.
2- Recall what you like about yourself
Another strategy to increase happiness is to remember three qualities about yourself that you like. Oftentimes, we are our own worst critics and are too hard on ourselves.
Practice this twice a day and continue the gratitude exercise mentioned earlier. There are many things about yourself that you can appreciate. These could include kindness, a sense of humor, cooking skills, or the love you give to your child, etc.
3- Practice kindness
Research shows that when you are kind to others, dopamine levels increase, and you become happier. Being kind boosts happiness, especially if practiced consistently.
It’s as simple as giving someone money, reaching out to someone who is alone to make them happy, cooking a delicious meal for your family, or preparing acoffeefor your colleague.
4- Meditate
Set aside moments each day formeditationand try to make it a consistent practice. Simply choose a specific time each day to sit without distractions for a few minutes and focus on your breath. If your mind wanders, kindly return your focus to your breath. Ideally, do this for 15 minutes each day.
5- Exercise
The last recommendation for increasing happiness is to exercise daily. As most of us know, exercise has a profound effect on our health and mood. Many of us sit for hours at a desk, then go home to watch television and lounge on the couch.
Exercising encourages the brain to release more dopamine and serotonin, which leads to increased positive energy and happiness. Choose an activity you enjoy and do it regularly. Don’t underestimate the mind-body connection. Many of us hope that success will lead to happiness, but later realize we were mistaken.
Final thoughts
Unfortunately, assuming an average person works 8 hours a day, this suggests they are pursuing success but remain dissatisfied, ultimately hoping to be happy someday. Certainly, there will always be challenges and obstacles on the path to success and goals, but if we maintain a positive mindset, optimism, calmness, satisfaction, and happiness, we can manage them. The right and positive mindset prepares us for greater creativity and productivity.
To be the most effective and fruitful in achieving your goals, you must also focus on your happiness. Happiness is a part of success and has a profound impact, therefore it takes precedence in everything.
