Thoughts For The Weekend – Success vs. Happiness

When you’re running your own business, or just enjoying your day-to-day work it’s really easy to get carried away in a single project, a new deal or your next invention. But now and then I think that it’s important to take a few steps back, and either enjoy what you’re achieving or change the situation.

Anyhow earlier today I stepped over this list of one-liners around the subject Success vs. Happiness, and even though I find some of them a little bit strange, the most of them are worth thinking about in our everyday struggle towards happiness… or is it success?

Happy Weekend!

Posts within the same category:
A great list for many aspects of life – Pixar’s 22 Rules of storytelling
Why worry? What did you worry about one year ago?

Success is all the money in the world; happiness is having people to spend it on.

Success is measurable; happiness is limitless.

Success is a fancy car; happiness is a great ride.

Success is working hard; happiness is loving the work.

Success is the fame; happiness is the rise.

Success is the race; happiness is the finish line.

Success is having everyone know your name; happiness is having the right people know your name.

Success is being right; happiness is being true.

Success is earned, happiness is achieved.

Success is awards; happiness is its own reward.

Success is money in the bank; happiness can’t be deposited.

Success is private jets; happiness is flying high.

Success is never easy; happiness will never feel difficult.

Success is money; happiness is value.

Success is sacrifice; happiness is plentiful.

Success is late hours; happiness is all day.

Success is second homes; happiness is always home.

Success is material things; happiness is in the materials.

Success is pursuing your dreams; happiness is living your dreams.

Success is praise; happiness is never needing it.

Success is reaching the top; happiness has no ceiling.

Success is all the money in the world; happiness is needing none of it.

Success is doing what you love; happiness is loving what you do.

Success is just ahead; happiness was never behind.

Success is pursued; happiness is acquired.

Success is getting everything you ever wanted; happiness is not needing any of it.

Success is calculated; happiness doesn’t need a cheat sheet.

Success is envied; happiness is shared.

Success is perfection; happiness is embracing the imperfections.

Success is going the distance; happiness is enjoying the destination.

15 ways to remain unhappy

15 ways to remain unhappy

1. Expect others to make you happy.
2. Blame your misfortune on others.
3. Using the “if only” as often as possible in terms of time, money and friends.
4. Compare what you have with others.
5.  Always be serious.
6. Always try to please everyone.
7. Never say no.
8. Help others, but do not let anyone help you.
9. Consider your own needs as unimportant.
10. If someone gives you a compliment, dismiss immediately.
11. If someone criticizes you, enlarge it.
12. Keep all the emotions on the inside.
13. Never change.
14. Never be satisfied with anything other than absolute perfection.
15. Spend all your time in the past or in the future.

The text is from “It’s never over”, by Kristina Reftel

Happiness

Yesterday Paulo Coelho wrote something at his Facebook-page that I truly believe in, and he wrote it in such simplicity (maybe that’s why he is a writer and I’m not? 🙂 ) that I just felt I had to comment on it.

I stopped to self-improve myself many years ago. The idea that “the great opportunities lie just over the horizon, in the next valley, with the next job or the next big thing” is not true. It lies here and now – and you are ready to grab it, regardless your imperfections.
– Paulo Coelho

For me this is the sweet spot, a home run and a grand slam of what I believe in when it comes to happiness and life.

I think that we often try to find happiness in so many things and ways, that “are not”, instead of just accepting ourselves as we are, and with our own capabilities. Today there is a huge Happiness-industry that make a living on telling us how to live our lives, how we should be, what we shall believe in and so on, instead of just letting ourselves believe in and being in our own present.

… guess happiness never will be a quick solution, it’s an ongoing fight to be here right now and appreciate what we got, instead of what don’t. It’s never easy but I truly believe in not thinking to much, and be thankful for what we got, and the cures for our happiness that are on sale in the nearest store, very rarely brings any happiness at all; in the marathon we call life.

Autumn sunrise - Piteå
(c) Pedro Hansson - Nikon D5000 - Sunrise in Piteå - As always, straight out from the cam except for naming (and sometimes croping)