Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – At Work and in Life

Every July 4^th, I am thankful to our Founding Fathers for their passion—their commitment—to  our freedom to pursue that which makes us happy –our freedom to be who we truly are and to create what we truly wish to create in this world.

Are you exercising the inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness? Are you truly happy?

It is our nature to be happy and when we are truly happy—as individuals and as organizations—that’s    when we achieve significant results.

In the workshops I do, whether we are discussing a life well-lived, a job well-done, a great relationship, a corporate culture, or a well-executed strategy, when we ask what is the essence of what we truly want, the answer is always happiness.

There are two kinds of happiness – emotional happiness and true happiness.

Emotional happiness is momentary. Fleeting. It doesn’t last and attachment to emotional happiness eventually results in its opposite—sadness, short term, insignificant results. True happiness just is. It remains steadfast no matter what happens.

Emotional happiness changes according to my mood and depends upon my interpretations of and reactions to external circumstances and the behavior of other people.  True happiness is a state of well-being and contentment that remains unchanged by external circumstances.

Let’s take the example of a CEO client of mine who was in the initial throes of a recall situation. She had learned that her product caused injury to a customer.

When I asked her if she was happy, her response was, “No! How could I be happy when I have this problem? I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. I’ve got a put a lid on this so it doesn’t blow up. I am afraid our reputation will be destroyed. I’ll be happy when I have this under control.”

This is an example of emotional unhappiness and the pursuit of emotional happiness.   And what kinds of results are being achieved? In this situation, my client was not sleeping, she was paralyzed with fear, unsure of what to do next, and going nowhere.

When my client focused on what made her truly happy, remarkable things started to happen.  She focused on being of highest service to their injured customer. She wondered what they could do to ensure that all of their customers remained safe. She wondered how she could help all of her customers feel safe and confident in her organization, their products, and services.

When she focused on that which brings true happiness, she reclaimed her peace of mind, invoked the state of wonder and received all kinds of ideas on what to do next and how to do it. She became inspired and achieved significant results – the relationships with their customers were strengthened and their reputation soared. Instead of being debilitated, she became energized.

When we, as individuals and organizations, are being true to ourselves, we notice the thoughts that are presented to us by our brains. We create a pause to add light and choose thoughts, words, and actions that are in alignment with who we truly are and what we truly wish to create in this world.

When we live our truth, that truth offers more happiness and love of ourselves and others than we can imagine. Our souls sing. We are inspired and impactful in all we do. We achieve significant results and long-lasting success and the ripple effect is of considerable magnitude.

Let’s do ourselves and our Founding Fathers proud.

Let’s turn fear into inspiration, worry into wonder, experience true happiness, and be inspired and impactful in everything we do.

I invite you to read or listen to this Forward Thinking Reminder on the pursuit of happiness. https://tinyurl.com/873txg2

For additional ideas on cultivating your life-well lived, check out this inspiring YouTube Video: https://tinyurl.com/7crmrcn I created to help me be inspired and impactful every day.  

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Mary J. Lore is a mentor to corporate leaders, multiple award winning author, keynote speaker, and founder of Managing Thought, LLC. Hailed by business leaders around the world, her multiple award-winning book Managing Thought: Think Differently. Think Powerfully. Achieve New Levels of Success and audio book Managing Thought: How Do Your Thoughts Rule Your World? not only change the way you think about success—they change the way you think, period. With a groundbreaking approach to harnessing mental power, Mary helps individuals and organizations turn counter-productive thinking into inspired action and significant results. In her career, she has served as a CPA, a crisis management and business turnaround expert, and an entrepreneur. Mary serves as an expert resource for Vistage, served as a Chair from 2002 – 2010, and was a member during the 1990s. Visit Mary at www.managingthought.com and www.maryjlore.com. If you’d like to help Mary teach millions of people how to change their thoughts and their lives, go to www.managingthought.com/PBSPledgeSpecial.

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