The business coaching relationship I have had over the years with many business owners and professionals has afforded me a privileged insight into business success and happiness.
I collaborated with one client who had a great deal of success and yet, was very unhappy. There were many factors that brought this unhappiness. The key factor was a three minute phone call he received each week.
More often than not if we cannot find joy in the little things it is difficult to experience the larger emotion of happiness. Isn’t it interesting that with the over dominant focus on a profitable bottom line for our businesses, that we sacrifice having a profitable bottom line in our personal lives.
Too often we make the mistake of thinking that life is an either/or proposition.
Either we focus on business or we focus on the personal. As Warren Buffett shows, a good life is about both/and. You can have both the successful business and a good personal life. Business success and personal success can go together.
Warren Buffett, the famous investor and the second richest man in the United States was meeting with graduate students from Rice University. He is very familiar with the challenges of starting up your own business.
The students were eager to hear his advice on a range of subjects but what he said on success and happiness struck a chord. Many business owners may achieve success but find that personal fulfillment and happiness continues to elude them.
The students wanted to know how he defined business success. He gave them an answer that they didn’t expect. He stated that unconditional love was more valuable than any amount of wealth.
As for success he told them that, “Success is getting what you want.”
Then they asked him about happiness.
His answer was, “Happiness is wanting what you get.”
In running your own business, ask yourself two questions.
Is my business helping me get what I want?
Am I happy with what I get?
Whether you are starting up your own business or running it, keep these two questions and your answers in mind to make the adjustments to guide you to the success and happiness you desire.
Warren Buffett has the ability to say a great deal with very few words. What are your thoughts?
