59 Days to Go - Happiness of a Millionaire

"What makes a millionaire happy?"

I keep on asking myself this question. Will it be his wealth? Will it be the help and opportunities he has given to people? Will it be his family? Will it be his vacations and trips all over the world? Will it be the difference he has make in people's lives?

According to Srikumar Rao - an adviser to senior business executives, whom he helps find deeper meaning and engagement in their work - from his video on TED entitled "Plug Into Your Hardwired Happiness". He shared this wonderful exercise...

Think about this for a minute:  

What should you get for you to be happy?

Ponder on this question and enumerate your answer.

Typical answers would be, a loving family, a good stable productive job, perfect relationships, wealth and security, and a bunch of stuffs. However this is his follow-up question.

Do you agree that anything than you can get can be un-get?

Everything you get for you to be happy can be taken away.

For this, he stated that all of us are born to be happy. We are designed to be happy people. However, we have followed the opposite IF-THEN Mental Model that there should be an "IF" or a variable that can cause us to be happy, a "THEN".

Ten years ago, I had goals, some particular "IFs" I have been focusing on - a good job, stable income, happy family, graduate with honors, and amazing girlfriend. Yes, I already achieved them.

But where has that left me?

In the same place I was 10 years ago.

So what's the point? Two things: I am born to be happy and because I am so happy, it overflows that I need to share them. How? I need to focus on things that even though I have it now and the next second someone gets it I am still happy. And what is that?

EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE GIVEN.

The lives I have helped and inspired. The graces I have shared with people.

And in a millionaire's perspective I still need to "get" something. However, I am "getting it" so that I can GIVE it.