What is success and happiness

Happiness and success are subjective. This depends on your beliefs.

The advice I can give you is to know yourself - put on paper the things you like and prioritize them.

Know the things that make you happy and then you are able to pursuit the happiness and success.

Greetings from Porto Alegre, Brazil!

“Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get.”- Ingrid Bergman

Success and happiness, happiness and success. People have a tendency to confuse the two, mixing them up until they can't distinguish between the very different but seemingly unified terms.

In a culture based on profit and earnings, we've grown up to attribute happiness as the product of success, measuring our lives by the level of our achievements and goals attained. Like a bad analogy, many equate success to the forefront of happiness, foregoing the second part of the equation to achieve the first. They think happiness is at the end of the climb and success is just a measure of it.

However, if you look at it more closely, there couldn't be a more wrong way of looking at it. Success is not, and never has been, a reflection of happiness, but rather, the other way around. How happy you are is the ultimate measure of success, isn't it?

It only takes a few case studies to realize that success can't be the recipe for happiness. If success did lead to happiness, shouldn't the very rich and accomplished be the happiest people we know? Shouldn't the ones who choose fame, fortune and achievement be at the pinnacle of satisfaction? Shouldn't Alec Baldwin just be a happy go-lucky guy?

Unfortunately, the most successful and rich aren't always the happiest, as they gave up real chances for happiness on their way to the top. They got the equation all wrong, mixing up the two variables for an answer that's pretty far from what they thought they'd get. They believed that success was the answer to happiness and happiness was just a byproduct, a factor, to success.

Like a math problem, or a well-applied analogy, success and happiness are separate, but many times dependent factors. Success most definitely has a stake in happiness, but not in the way many people think. Success is an achievement, but happiness is the only achievement. Success should come as a byproduct of happiness — a factor that comes from happiness, derives from it.

Happiness will be there when success is gone, when it's been subtracted from the equation. Happiness will be there when all else fails, when the answers don't align and your numbers don't match up. Happiness is the only answer there is because success is something that should only come when you are doing what you love, not the other way around. It's the end product of following your passions. Because success may seem like the goal, but happiness is the way there.

Success is all the money in the world; happiness is having people to spend it on.

Success is measurable; happiness is limitless.

Success is a fancy car; happiness is a great ride.

Success is working hard; happiness is loving the work.

Success is the fame; happiness is the rise.

Success is the race; happiness is the finish line.

Success is having everyone know your name; happiness is having the right people know your name.

Success is being right; happiness is being true.

Success is earned, happiness is achieved.

Success is awards; happiness is its own reward.

Success is money in the bank; happiness can't be deposited.

Success is private jets; happiness is flying high.

Success is never easy; happiness will never feel difficult.

Success is money; happiness is value.

Success is sacrifice; happiness is plentiful.

Happiness and success are totally up to you. More than that, the success of others is not necessarily what your success or happiness looks like, so it isn’t worth it to expend energy wishing you were in someone else’s shoes.

For me, success is working on something that people enjoy, making enough money to not stress about paying my bills, and having enough time to hangout with my wife and friends. Happiness should be related to success, but not exclusively contingent on it existing. It’s hard, but over time learning be happy seperate to your ambitions will greatly improve your quality of life.

Hi Terrance,

An interesting question.. one I believe all people have thought about at one point or another..

In my opinion, success is achieving your goals. No matter how large or small they are, whether they bring you financial gain or not. Success is setting out to do something and accomplishing it. Do you experience a level of happiness as a result of achieving a success, yes. However, it does not mean if you have become a powerful, rich, successful person you will automatically be happy. Happiness must come from within you, not a result of environmental influences. If you believe a fancy new car will make you happy, what happens when that car is a few years old or a new better model is released? Will you still be happy?

Happiness is much harder to identify because it can mean different things for so many different people. Happiness, to me, is being grateful for everything you have. Once you recognize how each blessing in your life makes an impact and you are truly grateful for them, you achieve happiness. How could you be happy with more if you aren't happy with everything you already have?

Ultimately, happiness becomes a matter of perspective. Each day before I even sit up in bed I name (3) things I am grateful for and my outlook has become more positive and I have become happier. Take the time to acknowledge the blessings in your life to be grateful for and see if it helps you identify the difference between happiness and success.

Good Luck!

Success is making this world a better place because you came through it. Happiness is enjoying that journey.

Success may seem like the goal, but happiness is the way there. Success is all the money in the world; happiness is having people to spend it on. Success is measurable; happiness is limitless. Success is a fancy car; happiness is a great ride. Success is working hard; happiness is loving the work.

Hi Terrance

You have 6 responses above. Are you happy with them? Were they successful in breaking the monotony?

I believe, happiness can come from simplest things we do or see or feel. It need not be measured or benchmarked.
It almost seems mythical yet true that sometimes we find success but not happiness.

I hope you live happy and be successful

It is how you define it and that definition can change as you go through various stages of life (adolescence, young adult, young adult in relationship, married with kids etc.)
5 H Motto...in everything you do is to HAVE -

• Homework


• Hardwork


• Humor


• Heart


• Humility