Tag: Happiness

Happiness

What determines happiness? Dale Carnegie once said, “It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.”

Most people look for happiness in one of three areas: 1) what we do (happiness comes with success), 2) what we have (happiness comes with material possessions or money), and 3) what others say about us (happiness comes with image or status).

Happiness is rarely associated with “what we think.”

By leading with this mindset and helping others learn how to think on the right things, positive change is inevitable.

Helping Others

Leadership is about people, and unless we observe how God works in our lives to provide opportunity to lead, we will miss the possibility of God using us to help others.

A Chinese proverb emphasizes: “If you want happiness for an hour––take a nap. If you want happiness for a day––go fishing. If you want happiness for a year––inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime––help someone else.”

Take a few moments each day to simply observe the working of God through the opportunities provided in the lives of the special people placed on our path and help them.

Happiness

The search for happiness is a never ending pursuit for most people.

Some search for happiness in material things or vast wealth, as if money or stuff will make them happy.

Some pursue happiness through relationships, looking for “Mr. or Mrs. Right,” as though someone else can make them happy.

The list goes on, but all of these areas will end in disappointment.

Albert Einstein once said, “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”

As leaders, set a goal that will drive every breath, thought, and action.

Happiness will most likely follow.

A Blessing or Lesson

One of my favorite thoughts is credited to Mother Teresa, “Some people come into your life as blessings, others come into your life as lessons.”

I used to tell our kids, “Everyone brings happiness, some when they come and some when they leave. So, live your life in a way that people are happy to see you come.”

What about leadership? Are we a blessing or a lesson?

Our decisions, words, and example leave a powerful influence one way or the other.

Make sure to lead in a way that people are happy to see us.

Happiness

Whether you are a fan of Andy Rooney or not, his thoughts on happiness are worth reading.

“If you don’t enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are you’re not going to be very happy. If someone bases his/her happiness on major events like a great job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, that person isn’t going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness.”

The Right Mindset…

Everyone wants to be happy, but what brings happiness? An attempt to answer this question fills every form of media. Dale Carnegie said, “It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.”

Sadly, most believe happiness comes with success, material possessions, money, or a social image/status.

Rarely do we associate happiness with what we think. What do our minds dwell on daily? Read Philippians 4:8.

Leadership can influence happiness with the right mindset and helping others think on the right things.

Bringing Happiness…

An old saying claims, “Everyone brings happiness, some when they come and some when they leave.” It would be great if leaders brought happiness when they arrived rather than when they left, but such is not always the case. 

At some point, we all leave and when that time comes we have to decide the level of integrity and Christlike character we will demonstrate. Consider the following.

Remember the greater good of followers.
Always accept responsibility for actions.
Be kind, never harsh or abrasive no matter how unfairly treated.
Consider Jesus.

We are leaders and how leave makes a difference.