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For many, integrating success and happiness in the same person can be a real dilemma. Many have to sacrifice one for the other, most of them obviously giving up happiness because “it can’t buy A, won’t take care of B or pay bill C.” The more confused lot think the two are the same thing. Right under that, among life’s biggest misconceptions, is the idea that success will always buy you happiness. Ironically, people with this mindset will never ever really be happy. Reason: they’ll never have enough. See, the greed for success is a known ulcer that eats at you to the grave. Yes, you’ll die wishing you’d lived one more day; just to make a few extra useless thousands!!

Success might get you access to some of the things that can make you happy, granted. But the thing is, success is achieved on the outside for you to see. Happiness comes from within, to be felt. It works one of two ways: you can find something that makes you successful, and try to build your happiness off it (good luck!) or you could find something that makes you happy, and build your success off it.

Whatever your choice is, we discussed in an earlier article What We’ll Need to Pursue Success. Today though, here’s a few reminders for happiness:

People Matter

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You’ll spend ¾ of your time chasing decorated paper and metal; that’s alright. But never lose your regard for people. When your love for success starts to eat at your love for your family, friends, colleagues, clients etc, you’ll be successful. Congratulations. But you’ll NEVER be happy. When your wife files for divorce, or your friends give you the space you seem to want; when your colleagues don’t understand your ambition anymore and your clientele grows too big for you to efficiently serve because of your greed, you’ll have officially been schooled about the difference between success and happiness. Love people, man. Give them time and value. It will “buy” you happiness in the longterm.

Change the World

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There’s a common quote about the most successful people being the most cheerful givers because there’s a thrill in giving. The world’s richest men give to the poor in charity not because they have too much, but because it makes them happy inside; it heals the soul.

A friend and I recently had a chat about our goals in life. Sounds boring, yes?  Hehehe I know. It was a moment of self reflection, though. My goals in life were basically coupled into two: to be happy and to make people happy; because life has taught me the not-so-boring lesson that Changing the World for Others Changes the World for YOU!!

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Stay Humble

13301302_1016661421745319_6535993935128979669_o-1Never let your success get to your head. Sure, you have all reason to celebrate your success. Play as hard as you work. But the misconception that you’re better than others because you’re more successful will drain the happiness out of your life. It will replace your real friends with fake ones and “business partners”. Forgetting where you came from just because you’re high now is simply thinking you can throw the ladder down, now that you’ve climbed!! Never forget that before all social classes, before all races, before all political ideologies, we’re all HUMAN! Same thing, same blood, same mould. Same creator.

Live Your Life

13393936_1019461461465315_7379984031842022665_nLife’s for living, and living is free. No amount of success guarantees you more life than the less successful; you’ll pay for the life support machine and eventually still have to let go. The point is, don’t wait to cling onto a dying life. Take time off; go outside and play. Travel the world for pleasure. Have a crazy bucket list. Dance. In short,  live!!

The Bigger Hand

13512046_991473324303735_7903427722766483463_nI say this a lot, because it is that important. No matter how many times you make it to the Forbes  list of your hometown, or how many Honorary Degrees this world awards you, there will always come a time that things get out of control for you. Always. Situations bigger than you will prevail; predicaments that will need a bigger hand. Even if they don’t, you still need that inner peace. It’s good for your heart and spirit to know there’s always someone you can talk to about ANYTHING. Anything at all. For some, it’s their lawyer. For others, it’s their father. Or wife. My followers and readers know by now that mine is God. Whoever it is that you choose, just teach yourself to believe in a force bigger than you. It costs absolutely nothing to trust someone, and yet the relief it creates inside you, the burden it carries off you is priceless.

So go; be successful. I want that for you. But more importantly, please; BE HAPPY! Cheers. Bless!

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