02 Sep Look beyond – Do what makes you happy and fulfilled!

My father was the primary breadwinner for the family. We did not have much but it was enough to keep us nourished, happy and healthy. I saw my dad working very hard to make ends meet. I got scholarships, so education was taken care of. My mother supported him in the best way possible. He was proud to serve us well. We were the first house in our area to have a TV back then, when having a television set at home was a big thing. We felt very proud as we saw him rise up the ranks and when people appreciated him for the love and care he showered on them. He served the community very passionately after he came back home from work. I wondered why he did that when he barely had time to rest. My little brain did not understand the why then!

As I noticed society adoring him for the title he held, I understood success to be about money and position. When I entered the work force, I considered them as important drivers of success. Over a period of time, I realized something was missing. It was not the money or the position. That was helping me with the financial obligations but not making me happy and fulfilled. I could not figure out what the void was. It took me long to identify what really made me happy which led to the work that I currently do. 

When work has a purpose larger than yourself you find it meaningful.

It is not to say that money is not important, it could be a key driver when you are the only provider but it pays leaps and bounds when you attempt to look beyond. When you are able to look beyond, you will realize it’s not about the money and perks because most of us want to do meaningful work, we want to feel fulfilled, we want work to be more than exchange for money. 

Ask yourself what makes you happy? 

To know what happiness is, Harvard’s lecturer and Happiness researcher Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar’s book Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment is a must read. I have read this book three times and find a golden nugget each time I read. To explore deeper take his online happiness course. I am so excited to attend this class.

Lewis Caroll once said, ‘If you don’t know where you are going any road will get you there.’ Once you do know, you will find the path that will make you happy.

Do what makes you happy and fulfilled.

Tal says, “Attaining lasting happiness requires that we enjoy the journey on our way toward a destination we deem valuable”.

Once you discern what is important for you and what makes you happy, you can choose the companies, clients, partners that enable you to do your best work. Don’t wait for tomorrow.  Studies show that the number one regret old people have is not the things you do in life, it’s the things you don’t do. People’s most enduring regrets in life come from discrepancies between their actual and ideal selves.

Take action now. To gain insights on how to bridge the gap between your actual and ideal self, Join me in this leadership summit where I talk to leading world class experts, thought leaders and researchers on what it takes to build a culture a happiness, well-being and engagement!

Time to reflect on Eknath Esawaran’s words,“I recalled a line from Thoreau: ‘It’s not enough to be busy. The question is, what are you busy about?’ A good question. What did I want? I had been too busy even to ask.” 

Are you too busy even to ask what makes you happy?