“True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.”
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

There is a reason that runners cross the finish line of a major race raising their hands in triumph, and that team members celebrate a earned point in a game (or a project completed – well and on-time – in an organization). There is a reason inventors smile with pride at their new invention and artists revere their new creations. And there is a way to harness this happiness, so that we can fuel ourselves forward to even greater successes.

When have you found yourself stuck – in a mood or a quandary – unable to figure out how to move on and what next step to take. This organic happiness that arises from a completed project or a new endeavor can be exploited to help push yourself through the stuckness or indecision. When you break a seemingly insurmountable issue down into smaller steps, take each step, and then celebrate each step, you can more easily complete your overall goal. You can generate happiness by changing your perspective, and by noticing what is done and done well (instead of incomplete or in error).

We are all, in some way, looking for what will make us happy, for what will fulfill us. While the key to this fulfillment might be different for different people, we are all, most of the time, on that seemingly endless search. Isn’t it amazing that we can create our own happiness by working towards our dreams, and that this happiness can in turn fuel us to move forward farther?

What deed can you do well, and acknowledge you’ve done well? How will that fuel you forward?

Do your best to do your best, and enjoy the results.

What have you done well?
Please leave a comment to share.

If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.


For help in creating your true happiness, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.

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