Happy is a Who, Not a What (Happy: part 1)

Hi, Hillary here, hoping to inspire you to seek true happiness .

One of my go-to podcasts is Your Move with Andy Stanley, and here’s why: the messages are rooted in the teachings of Jesus, yet they remain practical in today’s world. He tailors his messages not only for Jesus followers but also for those who may not share the same faith. Whether you're a believer or not, I believe you'll find his insights thought-provoking and applicable to many aspects of life - personal growth, professional development, and more.

The episodes typically come in series that build on a concept over several weeks, and each one is around 30 minutes long, making the listen concise and straight to the point.

One series that has really captured my attention is What Makes You Happy?, a 5-part exploration of our universal seeking for happiness. It explores the questions: What makes you happy? And why does happiness seem easy to find but hard to keep? I’m putting thought into these questions on a personal level and exploring how they relate to our workplaces. Happiness is deeply interconnected with both our personal and professional lives, and when there's a lack of harmony between these areas, it inevitably affects both. Join me on this journey as we unpack these connections and seek greater sense of peace and happiness for ourselves.

I encourage you to start by listening to this podcast. Reflect on how the teaching applies to both your personal and professional life, and where the two intersect. You may not agree with everything, and that’s okay—take what you can use and leave the rest!

To connect these concepts to inclusive work environments, I believe it's important to focus on a couple key terms you'll hear throughout the podcast. Whether you choose to interpret them through the lens of your religious beliefs or more broadly, I want to clarify these terms so that we can all apply them in a similar way:

• Sin: For those who follow a religion, sin typically refers to actions that go against your faith's teachings. If you're not religious, think of sin as those things you believe others shouldn't do—or that you believe you shouldn't do, but sometimes find yourself doing anyway.

  
  

• God: This can be your understanding of a higher power, whatever form that takes for you. It's the belief that there is more to life than just this life, and that life carries some divine sense of purpose.

Here are my three main takeaways:

What makes you happy? The truth is, nothing does! Happiness doesn't come from a "what" but from a "who." Happiness is relational. If happiness came from a "what," we'd all rush out to get that "what" and be endlessly happy. But despite all the time and money we spend chasing happiness, we often find we're still not really happy. When we look for happiness in a "what," it only leads to the desire for the next "what." The excitement of the new car, job, or latest technology eventually wears off. Real happiness is found in our relationships with others.

Consider your work relationships—do you have them? Are you connected to those around you on both a personal and professional level? What steps can you take to strengthen these connections for yourself and those around you? Some relationships are easier to nurture than others, but regardless of the challenges we face, we all have the ability to build meaningful connections. Maya Angelou captured this perfectly when she said, “People may not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.” 

Every happy person shares one common trait: they have peace with themselves, with others, and with a higher power. Anything that disrupts your peace will ultimately disrupt your happiness. Peace with your higher power is crucial, as it lays the foundation for peace with yourself and equips you to be at peace with others.

While achieving perfect peace with others may not always be possible, it's about striving toward it. It involves intentionally believing that everyone is working with good intentions, even when we disagree. By listening, seeking to understand, and creating spaces where everyone can share their input, we foster a sense of peace in our relationships with others.

To keep this idea universal, let’s define sin as anything that falls short of the standards you hold for yourself and others. Sin creates a divide between us and those around us. Think about your last workplace conflict—was it their fault? Was it yours? Maybe both? It couldn’t have been no one’s fault. When we engage in gossip, dishonesty, self-serving actions, taking credit from others, or putting someone down, these behaviors create separation. These "sins," however you define them, erode the peace in our relationships. And when we lose that peace, we lose our happiness.

Such behaviors at work might start small, but they grow over time, turning an eroding relationship into a dissolving one. So, what can you do to repair or strengthen a relationship? How can you support others in doing the same? Maintaining relationships takes effort from all of us, and it's essential for our happiness.

In summary, here's what I'll carry with me this week: Happiness isn't a thing, it's about relationships. It's the result of being at peace with a higher power, with myself, and with others. When I fall short of my own standards, it erodes my relationships, and without those connections, I can't find happiness.

So, let's share peace and foster happiness, my friends!