Overall Happiness
More than twenty years ago, at the University of Florida's School of Business, Warren Buffett delivered one of his best lectures to students. Coincidentally, one of the MBA students asked the billionaire what he would do if he could start over again in order to have a happier life.
Buffett's answer? Though he has maintained an unwavering level of happiness for decades, he was quick to redirect attention back to the students, encouraging them to make better decisions regarding relationships, finances, job ambitions, and health.
"The way to do it is to play out the game and do something you enjoy all your life," he stated. "Associate with those you find appealing. Only those that I enjoy working with. I wouldn't say yes to a guy who makes my stomach turn, even if we could make $100 million together."
Buffett's happiness lesson in four words
The biggest lesson on happiness from Buffett's speech stands the test of time and is especially apropos in the age of quiet-quitting: do what you love. Stop working in meaningless, low-paying jobs and pursue your passions. Do you recognize this? In an employee-driven economy, that is the rallying cry of today's workforce during this Great Reset.
I get to work in a job that I love, but I have always worked at a job that I loved. I loved it just as much when I thought it was a big deal to make $1,000. I urge you to work in jobs that you love. I think you are out of your mind if you keep taking jobs that you don't like because you think it will look good on your resume.
Even though Buffett's words may seem ridiculous to someone who has made billions of dollars, the truth is that Buffett was doing what he loved long before he was wealthy. While pursuing a job or a vocation you love entails certain risks, weigh the benefits. Let's examine five compelling arguments for committing to your passion.
- You find fulfillment when your actions are aligned with your purpose in life.
Your career, your values, and the things that give you meaning all come into sync when you pursue your passion. Furthermore, without passion—which stems from the need to alter or improve things for your clients, your company, or even the entire world—you cannot have purpose. Teams that approach their job with enthusiasm and a strong sense of purpose give precedence to quality and perfection in their output. They have a stronger sense of purpose and connection to the work they undertake, which positively impacts the way your customers feel about your offering. To put it simply: contented workers who enjoy their work create loyal customers.
- You thrive when you feel a strong sense of belonging within your community.
It's very likely that everyone around you will feel the same way when you do what you love. This is true of contented, involved cultures that value belonging; in these communities of caring, you're all in this together, doing meaningful work. Belonging at work is important now more than ever. To put it simply, belonging is the sense of being a member of a team, group, or organization. And a strong sense of belonging in the workplace is centered on connections. It contains love.
- You excel when you focus on leveraging your strengths to overcome challenges.
Understanding our individual advantages and disadvantages is essential to our success as producers and contributors. Even if you don't have to be an expert in everything, it's crucial to recognize your knowledge base, strengths, and skills, and to stay in your lane. It involves leveraging your strengths while avoiding the dangers of branching out into uncharted territory. The goal is to not only hone down on your areas of strength and expertise but also to stop spending time and energy on pursuits that are outside of your purview.
- You inspire others when you demonstrate optimism in action.
Every morning, we know that a great deal of material is broken and that more is on the verge of breaking. Professionals who are most productive and passionate about what they do infuse optimism and hopefulness into their work, yet they remain grounded in reality. Ultimately, assuming everything will turn out okay won't get you where you want to go. Yes, we do live in a difficult and unpredictable time. However, those who work at jobs they enjoy and with people they love never feel the need to pay homage to the issue shrine. They have an eye toward the future, set high goals, are brave enough to think through the challenges, and never forget to celebrate with arms raised to the sky when they overcome them.
- You achieve remarkable feats when you are motivated by your passion.
When you enjoy what you do, you are more driven to work longer hours and complete the kind of work you want to perform rather than work because you have to. Your innate drive to increase productivity stems from your conviction that the people you work with will benefit from your diligent efforts. To sum up, when you are passionate about your work, it ceases to feel like labor. One of the main factors in achieving true happiness in life is pursuing your passion.
