Happiness and Success in Business

It’s more than just a state of mind …

What to Learn Today?

What is Happiness?

Understanding the Formula for Happiness

Viewing Past, Future and Present Events

Using this in your Business Activities

Where this Presentation Originated

Authentic Happiness Other Respected Individuals• Dr. Michael McCullough• Dr. Robert Emmons

• My Father• Conversations with Friends

and Mentors• My Life

WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

Buddah

What is Happiness

Momentary Happiness

•Eating Chocolate•Watching Entertaining Movies•Purchasing New Clothes•Walking into a Warm Sunlight•Drinking Alcohol, Smoking, Using Drugs

Stimuli Invoking Fleeting Feelings of Positivity

•As you continue to obtain these moments the less intense the feeling of positivity occurs

The More You Have the Less the Positive Feeling

•To obtain the same level of satisfaction with the original feeling you need to increase the level of intensity

The More You Have the Stronger a Larger Fix Becomes

Usually Involves Physical Stimuli

Lasting Happiness

Not Built Upon Positive Uplifts

More Positive Mental View

•Happiness of the Past•Happiness of the Future•Happiness of the Present

Requires Contemplation of Three Valuable Areas

•H = S + C + V

Has a nifty little Formula

UNDERSTANDING THE HAPPINESS FORMULA

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Happiness Formula

H = Enduring Level of Happiness

S = Set Range

C = Circumstances in Your Life

V = Factors Under Your Voluntary Control

H = S + C + V

PAUSE FOR THE GENERAL HAPPINESS SCALE

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.- Abraham Lincoln

Set Range: The Barriers to Becoming Happier

Our Happiness Thermostat Our Hedonic Treadmill

Circumstances in Your Life

Money

Age

Health

Education, ClimateRace & Gender

Marriage

Social Life

Religion

Negative Emotion

What does this mean?

• A Strong Effect on Happiness

Live in a wealthy Democracy

• A Robust Effect on Happiness

Get Married

• Only a moderate effect

Avoid Negative Events and Emotion

• A Robust Effect on Happiness

Get a Rich Social Network

• A Moderate Effect on Happiness, but Important Support Tool to Other Circumstances

Get an Active Religion

THREE AREAS UNDER OUR CONTROL (V)

Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.

- Groucho Marx

Happiness about the Past

Emotions about the Past

Satisfaction

Contentment

Fulfillment

Pride

Serenity

Two Key Areas to Develop

Gratitude• “Thank You” cards• Gratitude Journal

Forgiving• Forgetting & Suppression• Commit to Forgiveness

A Free Tool to Enhance Gratitudehttp://GetEnoch.com/download_padiush.aspx

Happiness about the Future

Emotions about the Future

Faith

Trust

Confidence

Hope

Optimism

Two Key Areas to Develop

Optimism• Permanence• Pervasiveness

Hope• Permanent & Universal• Temporary & Specific

Increasing Optimism

Learning to Argue with Yourself

• Most convincing way to dispute a negative is to show it is factually incorrect

Evidence

• To Dispute your beliefs Scan for possible causes; Focus on changeable specific and non-personal.

Alternatives

• Even if the facts hold true as what are the direct implications

Implications

• Sometimes the consequences of holding a belief matter more than it’s truth; Even if the belief is true now, is the situation changeable?

Usefulness

Happiness about the Present

Emotions about the PresentJoy

Ecstasy

Calm

Zest

Ebullience

Pleasure

Flow

Two Key Areas to Develop

Pleasures• Savoring• Mindfulness

Gratifications• Produce Flow• Require Skill and Effort

BUILDING SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS FROM HAPPINESS

What did we Learn?

Lasting Happiness is Changeable and Achievable

Happiness = S + C + V … Items we can change

Past, Future and Present events are in our control

Our Businesses can Thrive Through these Principles

Happiness and Success in Business

It’s more than just a state of mind …