Happiness is actually pretty serious business.  Everyone will define happiness differently and oftentimes what makes one person happy won’t make the next person happy.  Some people care about money, others want love, and still some people want both and then some.  There is no set criteria for happiness, there is no checklist and there is no blueprint.  Happiness is a state of mind.  Sometimes we wake up and are happy and sometimes we feel down for no apparent reason.

When I talk to people in a business setting everyone wants to talk about their careers, the projects they are working on, or the deals they have just signed.  My favorite question to ask people when I talk to them is “are you happy?”  Did that deal you close make you happy?  What about the new house you just bought?  It’s hard to ask someone “what makes you happy?” because that feeling and come and go at times for no apparent reason, however if someone asks you “if you are happy” then at that moment you will know if the answer is yes or no.

I think the important thing for people to realize is that if you’re not happy then there really isn’t a heck of a lot else that matters is there?  If you have everything but aren’t happy, then you really have nothing.  Only you know if you are truly happy, smiles and words can be deceiving but there is no lying to yourself.

Are you happy?

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