I DON’T WANT TO BE RICH. I JUST WANT TO BE HAPPY

I understand I am not the first one to write about the topic. I am just another one. You can add me to the group of people who decided to be happy in life. Look, I am not naïve. I am not walking on the streets, singing, and enjoying life. Unless I had won the lottery. In that case, I would be the new Pavarotti.

Please, don’t get me wrong. It is great to have money and be able to relax and spend it accordingly. And it is even better when you are able to earn your money, doing something you really enjoy and love. I’ve done that for many years. Until I started to question my happiness and its entire definition.

After spending six years living abroad, which, by the way, it was an amazing experience, I thought it was time to come home. Somehow, I was having this strange feeling of not being happy anymore. Home sick? Maybe. After two years back, if you ask me, I still don’t have all answers. Why did I come back? Why did I leave the organization I’ve been working for the past 16 years?

Do I miss the work and the challenges? Absolutely. As part of being happy, I would say, it was the opportunity to meet and work with people from 17 different countries, and their amazing stories. Every day, it was something different. The work was not boring at all. I was constantly being challenged to do my best. Was I successful? Most of the times. And, yet there was this restlessness around me.

My wife used to say: “You are never happy. No matter where you go”. Actually, I am still hearing that, from time to time.

I guess the problem I am facing now is not related to being happy or not. I have to confess. I already made up my mind. I am very happy. Professionally and personally. It is only the fear of starting all over again. And for me, it is the first time I am venturing on my own. I have my own business.

Yes, I am extremely happy for what I had done so far. My books, my methodology, my workshops, my mentoring sessions, everything was built from scratch. Believe me, the feeling of building something on your own, using your ideas, your perception, your viewpoint, your feelings, it is priceless. No comparison to the credit card company, as I am not getting any marketing fees.

What I have in hands is something I believe it is powerful, and it will help people. And when I say people, I mean employees, Management, and organizations. I was even challenged by a colleague, after I shared the same expectation over my ideas. “Aren’t you being a little too pretentious? How many clients do you have at this particular moment?”

“None. I am just finishing up the final touches of the process, which is my website”. And, not only for him, but for everyone else, the main point is that I am very happy with my product. I am very proud of what I have accomplished so far.

His next comment was even better: “I don’t understand your happiness. You do not have any clients and, technically, not making any money. You cannot be happy. No one works for free unless you are a volunteer”.

I just listened to him. I did not want to start the ping-pong conversation, trying to explain my business case, the thought process behind it, and, even worse. I did not mention my volunteer work, providing mentoring and coaching to people from all over the world. Because it is something that makes me extremely happy, and I love doing it. It is hard to explain. It is just unbelievable to see the results. Period.

 Am I going to get rich with my business? The answer is: “I don’t know, and I don’t care”. But one thing is for sure. I am delighted with the entire process, starting from the conception, idea, design, development, and final product.

At the end, as I said earlier, I am not naïve. My business already started very successful. And it is not because of my bank account (although it will be a nice plus). It is all about the search for happiness. I am going on the right direction. That I know for sure. Everything else will comes at the right time. If not, then I let life take its course, as long as happiness is the number one priority.