All people wish for happiness and success in their lives. But when is one successful, and what does happiness actually mean? What makes me strong enough to overcome the adversities of everyday life and find my happiness?
Success in our society is often equated with a high income. In my opinion, however, this is too narrow-minded. In fact, economic success is just one parameter among several others that are more significant, such as health, family, freedom, and self-determination. These are essential factors by which I judge whether I am successful. I consider myself successful only when I can live freely and self-determined. I am successful when I manage to be the entrepreneur of my own life. Regarding happiness, there is a quote attributed to Erasmus of Rotterdam that I find very fitting: "The essential condition for happiness is the willingness to be who one is." Simplified, I interpret it for myself as: Happy is the one who wants to be what he is. In this sense, I can say that I am happy from time to time. Unfortunately, this feeling is not a permanent state, maybe it's not even possible. Because how can I perceive light without the contrast of darkness - the absence of light? Nevertheless, my life largely corresponds to what I expect from it. The Dalai Lama once said: "Live a good and honorable life, so when you get old, you can look back and enjoy it a second time." I consider this a good maxim for a happy life. But what applies to me does not necessarily apply to you. Because the perception of success and happiness are highly individual experiences. However, there are factors that promote leading a successful and happy life. And these can be learned and trained. It is about always getting up one more time than you have fallen: being resilient. So, acquiring the ability to emerge stronger from setbacks and seeing them as an opportunity and challenge for something new. And understanding failure not as a defeat but as part of one's own path that gives us the chance to grow. The first question we ask ourselves should not be "What do I want?" but "Why am I the way I am?". It follows that the most important step towards more happiness and success is to accept oneself as one is. You will discover strengths and weaknesses within yourself. My advice: Work on your strengths, focus your energy on becoming excellent in the areas where you are already strong. If you put the same energy into improving your weaknesses, you will at best be mediocre, and that won't take you further. How you can walk this path and face life's challenges, how they can be overcome, these are the central themes in my book "The Perfect Moment," which was published in October 2015 - but especially in my speeches. Mindfulness is an essential prerequisite for achieving these goals. If I have succeeded in inspiring you with these lines, then you are well on your way to leading a life with more strength, happiness, and success. You already possess the tools for it - they are within you. Just get started. Yours sincerely, Jochen Schweizer Find out how to achieve happiness and success in an excellent lecture by Jochen Schweizer.
