“What is the meaning of life? To be happy and useful.”

Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

The dictionary definition of happiness includes good fortune, pleasure, contentment, joy. According to Charles Kiefer of Innovation Associates, “We are only one thought away from a happy thought.”

We are happy when we:

• go for a long walk in nature
• wake up to the smiling face of our grandchild or other loved one
• hear our 97 year old mother’s desire to get off the phone so she can  return to reading the new Steve Jobs biography
• watch a leader we respect move forward in their organization
• coach an inspired entrepreneur to fulfill a dream through sustained action
• facilitate a powerful conversation that moves a team’s game-changing project forward
• contribute our resources to organizations that stand for values we hold sacred

John De Graff and Linda Sechrist, in their article on Economics of Happiness: The New Economy¹, write:

“We’ve had enough of the official mantra: Work more, enjoy less, pollute more, eat toxic foods and suffer illnesses, all for the sake of increasing the gross domestic product. Why not learn ways to work less and enjoy it more; spend more time with our friends and families; consume, pollute, destroy and owe less; and live better, longer and more meaningfully? To do all this, we need fresh solutions.”

English writer Storm Jameson said, “Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.” What does happiness mean to you… as an individual, as a family member, as a working person, as a business leader, as a global citizen?

 “Gross National Product measures everything,
 except that which makes life worthwhile.”
Robert Kennedy

We often associate happiness with success, and success with material well being. Chip Conley, in his February 2010 TED talk entitled Measuring What Makes Life Worthwhile, reports and comments on the work and focus of the King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who offers an alternative view of success — one based on GNH (gross national happiness) rather than GDP(gross domestic product.).

“Most world leaders didn’t take notice and thought this was just Buddhist economics. This was the first time in 200 years (since Thomas Jefferson) that a world leader suggested that the intangible of happiness was something we should measure and value as government officials.

The exciting news is that there are now 40 countries around the world today that are actually studying their own GNH. Bhutan offers all of us the possibility of “the ultimate export… a new global currency of well being.

In Western countries we focus on the pursuit of happiness as if it is an object we have to go out and get… or many objects. The Bhutanese in contrast offer an “equation for happiness”:

Happiness =  Wanting what you have (Gratitude)
                        Having What You Want (Gratification)

And this leaves us, not one thought away from happiness, but rather in the midst of happy thoughts.”

What does happiness mean to you?

• Name a happy experience you had this week.
• What do you do to create your own happiness?
• Can you be happy when others around you are not?
• What “fresh solutions” do you have to offer?
• How did you use your time today in ways that made you happy?
• How do you contribute to the happiness of others in your personal world, in your business world, and in the world at large?

 Ever since happiness heard your name,
it has been running through the streets trying to find you.
- Hafiz ofPersia

At birth, Miriam was given the name Nancy. Her parents told her it means “happiness.” In her growing years she experienced her name as an invitation to embody happiness – happiness inside her own being, as well as happiness inside her family and community. As she matured, happiness was always connected to the existence of social justice in the world. What connections do you make between your own experience of happiness and your family?

If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.
If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.
- Chinese Proverb

 Practices:

• What practices do you engage in that support your happiness and well being?
• What practices will you begin to enhance your own and others’ happiness?
• What changes will you commit to making to support your own and others’ well being?
• How can you contribute to GNH on a personal level? In your relationships? Your family? Your business? Your world?
• What conversations can you have to explore happiness, and with whom?

Resources:

Economics of Happiness: The New Economy

 http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169D249:0D7CA2881E1DFAE51EE4CFBB181403D0B4B847859706E37D&

Be The Change: Explore research on well-being, at the New Economics Foundation.

 http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169D24A:0D7CA2881E1DFAE51EE4CFBB181403D0B4B847859706E37D&

”Life is a gift, given in trust — like a child.”
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

If love is what sources our lives and our leadership on and off the field, what role does trust play? According to Joyce Brothers, “The best proof of love is trust.” Trust is something that needs to be renewed, refreshed and revised.

We consulted the dictionary and found this definition – trust: the ability to rely on the integrity, the strength and the confidence of a person or situation.

We were thinking and talking about trust one day when we heard that Steve Jobs had died. There were many tributes to his vision and his creativity, many accolades about his business leadership—even through his failures. As we were reading about him, we came upon this quote:

“Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

We reflected on what we trust as we develop our leadership in our personal and professional lives.

• We trust ourselves. Golda Meir said it well: “Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.
• We trust our relationships—our families, our friendships, our partnerships. In our experience of being life and business partners, trust has been broken and remade over and over again. Our commitment to one another and to our business success has enabled us to do the work of rebuilding trust. This is the place where return on integrity becomes return on investment.
• We trust our communities. In order to sustain ourselves and develop thriving businesses, we must make connections and partner with other entrepreneurs and business leaders for our mutual benefit and the well being of our communities and the world. Only by working together do we have the possibility of creating a world that works for everyone.

Questions to Ponder:

1. How have you trusted yourself today? What have you done to fan the sparks of possibility?
2. Where is trust disrupted in your life? What can you do today to repair, restore or reestablish it?
3. What experiences of building trust in your communities are you most proud of?

Quote:

“There is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organization, nation, economy and civilization throughout the world—one thing which, if removed, will destroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love.

On the other hand, if developed and leveraged, that one thing has the potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life. Yet, it is the least understood, the most neglected, and most underestimated possibility of our time.

That one thing is trust.”

— Stephen M. R. Covey, The Speed of Trust

Actions and Practices:

• What practice will you use today to aid you in sustaining trust in your leadership in your relationships, your business and your communities?
• To whom will you turn now for support in renewing trust in yourself or in others?
• Share with your children or your employees something important you have learned about trust today.

Today, when we contemplate what will make a difference in business in general at the heart of the matter we could say, love. So, “What’s love got to do with it?” Tina Turner asks in her famous song. And we say love has everything to do with it. Love is not a “second hand emotion” but rather the foundation, the core, the heart. We recognize that the desire for profitability is essential for the survival of any business. But that is not sufficient. Sufficiency or “enough” begins to be created with a focus on the Triple Bottom Line… love of profit AND people AND the planet. Power is generated from all three. And we suggest there is a fourth factor… Possibility – the possibility of something new arising from the combination of the three.

Love of people starts with love of self. Care of self and care for self — the capacity and willingness to embrace the dark side, the shadow, the difficult emotions and experiences, as well as the light and happy ones. To be a successful leader, you have to know yourself and how to live and lead your life well, in harmony with those around you, before you can lead others. How are you doing on that score?

Love of people continues by including others close to you — your life partner, family, friends, colleagues and employees. They are valuable sources of support and success. How well are you caring for them? Are your relationships and partnerships healthy, happy and prosperous?

Love of the planet. We all know there is no business on a dead planet. What actions are you taking to ensure that life is not only sustainable in your lifetime, but thriving for generations to come? How are you contributing? Are there other entrepreneurs or business leaders with whom you might partner to make the difference you know is possible?
Quotes:

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power,
the world will know peace.”     — Jimi Hendrix

“I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in
power that is moral, that is right, that is good.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.
The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.
We must disenthrall ourselves,
and then we shall save the country (our world).”
       — Abraham Lincoln
       Dec 1, 1862 Message to Congress

Action or Practice:
What action or practice will you take or begin today that initiates or reinforces the Power of Love in your business and your life? What Possibility are you creating that will make a difference?

Over the next several months we will explore the power of our relationships to produce sustainable results that ensure satisfaction, profitability and contribution to the greater good. These questions and others will be the focus of our exploration.

• How do you create satisfying relationships?
• What are the keys to a working relationship, whether personal or business?
• How do you achieve a consistent balance between task accomplishment and relatedness in your business?

The Context for Creating Satisfying Relationships

Everything that occurs in life occurs within the context of relationship. Our interconnectedness is expanding by degrees every day, whether in our personal communications or in global business transactions.

Everything that works in life works because of our relationships. We depend on our relationships to nourish and sustain us through times both good and bad.

Everything we learn in life we learn through relationship. When we discover our ability to create successful relationships, we experience relationship as a gift to ourselves and others.

Relationship is the ground upon which we stand – at home, at work and in the world. According to Vietnamese Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, “We Inter-Be.” Even though the truth is that we are all interconnected, experiencing connection consistently takes practice. In order to have satisfying relationships, each of us must learn what it takes to make our relationships work. Recognizing this, we can master being in right relationship with others in the moment and over time, whether an intimate partner, a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a member of our community, a business colleague, or a stranger.

As we begin this conversation, we invite you to consider the following questions. Take a few moments to see what action you might want to take in response to what arises.

• What do you most cherish or appreciate about your current relationships?
• What do you find most challenging and difficult?
• Where do you want or need to be more fully engaged?

What opportunities for learning and practice do you see? Take a few moments to consider one action you could take today to increase your satisfaction in your current relationships?

“In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles, and positions.”

Margaret Wheatley