………. Happiness is the key to success” – Albert Schweitzer.
The old paradigm, which is still mainstream in society, tells us differently: Achieve worldly (outer) success and you will be happy and fulfilled.
“I have seen business moguls achieve their ultimate goals but still live in frustration, worry, and fear. What’s preventing these successful people for being happy? The answer is they have focused only on achievement and not fulfillment. Extraordinary accomplishment does not guarantee extraordinary joy, happiness, love, and a sense of meaning. These two skill sets feed off each other, and make me believe that success without fulfillment is failure”- Tony Robbins.
Scientific research also supports the conclusions drawn by Albert Schweitzer and Tony Robbins. The findings of Shawn Achor (a leading expert in happiness research) are just one example of this.
Shawn became interested in happiness during his time at Harvard, where he noticed that many students showed serious signs of depression (in the face of the heavy demands of their academic education).
After interviewing more than 1200 Harvard students Achor found, that those who combined their study with having fun, taking breaks and spending time with friends and family, were more likely to be successful, than those who focused entirely/relentlessly on their study. *
While being totally focused on the demands of our study, career or business often doesn’t seem to bring us the ultimate success (in terms of money, possessions, status etc.), it certainly is no guarantee for being satisfied, happy, fulfilled.
Since our education system doesn’t teach us how to become happy and fulfilled, it’s no wonder that we get lost when our whole life is totally focused on achieving worldly/outer success.
I coach successful leaders to redefine their success.
Why? I know what it feels like to stand in their shoes. I have experienced both: outer success and unfulfillment/emptiness inside.
It took me a long time to understand what I did wrong, and what needs to be done to recover/ to find myself back. After learning the tools to help others to find (back) a life of true fulfilment and meaning, I developed a program to coach them on that journey: The Core Aligned Success Coaching Program.
If you want to find out more, or simply wish to talk; please click on schedule, to get a free consultation with me, or use one of the other ways on https://gerritweerdmeester.com to get in touch.
*In his book “The Happiness Advantage” Shawn cites more important research findings.
