Success and Happiness

Happiness and success are closely related and one would be very wise to understand the connection. Success in life is often equated with happiness. However, there are many ways to be happy in life. It is important to be honest with ourselves. Success and happiness are often interdependent and it is important to look at one as a happy event while another is not as good as it seems.


Success and happiness are often equated but what is really the difference? Success is achieving what you want if you play your cards right. Success is being content with what you already have, while success is when you get exactly what you desire. Take a moment to consider how "successful" you feel. Now consider what criteria by which you measured yourself.

Most of us have some sort of standard or "happiness" criterion. If we have health and wealth then we are more likely to feel happy. Most of us have positive emotions such as well-being and motivation to get ahead in life, so we are more likely to achieve our goals and become successful.

Success and happiness are often not associated. While well-being and motivation are important, a person who has very high self esteem and no interest in personal goal attainment is likely not to be very happy. These negative traits can also cause difficulties in achieving success. This lack of interest in personal goal achievement leads to poor self image and therefore poor self-esteem. The lack of personal success can then lead to negative feelings, therefore poor well-being and motivation, and poor motivation to get ahead.

On the other hand, if you were to look at a group of well-being, motivation, and self-image, you would find that they were all highly positive emotions. People who have high self esteem and a high sense of self-worth are likely to be happier than others. Those with poor self image and negative feelings are likely to have low levels of well-being and motivation, and therefore become unhappy and frustrated with life. This can have negative repercussions in their career and personal relationships.

Now consider what motivates you to do well in life. What are your inner passions? What are your goals that you desperately want to achieve? Once you discover your inner passions and goals, do you have enough positive energy to get ahead in your career? Do you truly want to get ahead?

Most people have more than one passion or goal. For most of us, our most important goals are financial security and happiness. Most of us, however, only have one major passion or goal - to achieve financial security and be happy - on a day-to-day basis. It is not uncommon for the extremely happy people in our society to have many goals and dreams, but because of the lack of financial security and happiness, these dreams and goals become dreams and goals, rather than realities.


It takes work to make a living and achieve financial security, which makes it even more important that you take the time to focus on and take seriously your biggest goals. The research is out - your happiness is based upon how happy you are at what you do, not how much money you make. Yes, some people will earn more than others and be successful. This does not mean however, that they are happier than the majority of us. Instead, in order to be successful and to be happy, you need to focus on and commit to many people other than yourself, and surround yourself with happy, positive people who also have the same or better goals and passions in life.