Happiness is a very important concept of business and life. But how do you achieve and maintain it? I'd like to quote Rob Gilbert: “The first rule of happiness is: Don't seek happiness. Create it." I've found that the question asked in the title of our blog post today, “Are you super happy?” is very effective in doing just that.
The question sprouted from a sales coaching conversation. When you're making sales calls to provide a product or a service, it's common to hear “No, I'm all set. I already have that taken care of.” Most sales people respond to that objection in a polite way and try not to be pushy. That's appropriate, because if someone is all set, they're not in a situation of need.
However, I have found that if you ask “Are you 'super happy', with being all set?”, you can open up a new conversation. If the person says that he or she is super happy with their current provider, you have an opportunity to be happy for that person. People may not remember what you say to them, but they do remember how you made them feel.
On the other hand, if you find that the person that's all set actually has 'settled' for a service or product that is OK, but not great, you can ask if he or she wants to know what being 'super happy' would feel like. Then you have an opportunity to creating even more happiness.
What about your own situation? Ask yourself the question: "Am I super happy?" What situations need to change in order to go from where you are, to being super happy? As the old serenity prayer states, consider: "... the serenity to accept (and embrace) the things I cannot change, the courage, (and I add creativity and resourcefulness) to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." If you have circumstances that need to change, break those down into a task oriented list, and you can find the solutions to overcome your challenges one at a time.
If it's not worthwhile to change a circumstance, change your mind set about it instead. Many people know the concept of the frame-shift, from my book Income Double, Half the Trouble. Often you're looking at a situation, but there's another true way of looking at it. That other truth can make the situation OK, and possibly great. This way of thinking has a great impact on your life and on how other people see you.
What are your thoughts or questions on this subject? It would make me very happy to see a comment on this blog, or send me an email.
Jonathan Flaks, M.C.C., Business Success Coach - http://www.jfcoach.com. Since 1998, Jonathan has been helping entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals focus on and reach ambitious goals, maintain continuous confidence and motivation, and achieve balanced success. Jonathan maintains a Master Certified Coach distinction from the International Coach Federation. He earned a dual degree from Cornell University and was Adjunct Professor in Business Leadership and Coaching Skills for New York University. Clients have come from BMG Entertainment, Morgan-Stanley-Smith-Barney, KPMG, Disney, Deloitte, Honeywell, Goldman Sachs, and many entrepreneurial and professional service firms. If you want to start every week with a positive, confident attitude, visit Monday Morning Mini-Motivation Meetings.