Our society often makes the mistake of comparing success with money. It is no surprise that we do this. Ultimately, money has the advantage of being measurable. When we can measure something, we can evaluate how we are doing versus everyone else. We like to compete with each other.
But apart from providing us with an easy way to "keep up with Jones", what exactly does the equation of success with money do? It is commonly accepted that money does not buy happiness. If someone is rich and unhappy, does he succeed? off course not!
Success is less about money than it is about value. A successful person is one who sees his contribution and is satisfied with what he sees. Success is recognition, even if only internal (because in the end, you are the only one who is completely a part of your life). If you are happy, then you have succeeded.
Unfortunately, while American traditions recognize that the pursuit of happiness is an inseparable right, happiness itself is far from guaranteed. In fact, the pursuit of happiness can be a frustrating battle of competitive priorities, high prices, and lost time. These very real costs give us the illusion that our unhappiness is due to the expenses we have incurred along the way, from which we easily conclude that if we had less responsibilities, less expenses and more time, we would be happier. . We devote most of our lives to achieving the level of financial freedom at which we can finally retire and enjoy our hard-earned free time.
Nevertheless, do you know that the average life expectancy of a retired person who does not take on a new challenge to occupy their time is about five years? Humans thrive on excitement. We cannot go on permanent leave from overwork. We get bored, and we die.
Therefore, the secret of real happiness is neither the possession of wealth nor the accumulation of wealth for the future. Both of these can be useful (and up to a point, they are perfectly sensible), but it is much more important that you identify what you like to do with your time, ways to get rid of it as soon as possible. To search for.
If you don't know what you want to do - and especially if you are sure that whatever it is that is not what you are doing right now - then you probably can't just quit, but you start making changes. Can make you happier. Start looking for other options. Sign up for some adult education classes at a community college, which has a flat fee and meets once a week for a few weeks. Study languages, maybe. Or art. Or cooking. Try whatever you can. You will know what you like when you find it.
And once you find it, see how you can incorporate it into your life. We spend most of our lives sleeping or at work, and chances are you need your sleep. You probably need to work for a living, but maybe you are also working on a job that you like. Then you will be on your way to happiness. This is the success.
