Looking at the Big Picture: Success, Happiness & Impact on Business. Part 1 of 4
At the end of the day, you want to be fulfilled. You want to be complete. You want to have it all. The ‘total package’ means being happy and successful. “At the end of the day” isn’t just a meaningless figure of speech. You literally want to feel fulfilled at the end of each and every day – we all do. So, let’s talk about happiness and success. What do they mean, and why do they matter?
Addressing these ‘big picture’ questions thoroughly and directly – even though they may seem broad, vague, or indefinable – can help shape your ‘small picture’ day-to-day details as a coach and as a person.
What is success? You’re successful when you set meaningful goals and reach them. It’s one thing to set goals and accomplish them – but are they meaningful goals? Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. You work, but you don’t always find meaning – the kind of meaning that leads to satisfaction.
What is happiness? Go a step further. What is complete happiness? Let’s break it down. It sounds simple: ‘complete happiness’ means feeling happy and complete. You are completely happy when your relationships with people are positive and productive. Mere happiness, all on its own, can be found in a number of seductive sources. But complete happiness requires a complete person. Can you say that you are complete? What does that even mean?
Completion of self is a relatively new concept in the Western World. In many places, though, it’s an ancient concept, especially in Asia. We went on a search to discover how to be completely happy. In the process, we worked with Arun Kattel, a sociologist in Kathmandu, Nepal.
We interviewed Sherpas who have summited Mount Everest. We asked them about success and happiness. We asked them about their work, their lives and what really matters to them. In the next 3 parts of this series, we’ll talk about what we learned, why it matters, and what it means for your coaching career.
About the Author:
Brenda Corbett co-authored “The Sherpa Guide: Process-Driven Executive Coaching,” which has been used by ten executive education programs. The Sherpa certification is the only one endorsed by multiple universities. She has trained and certified executive coaches for Stanley Black & Decker, The National Cancer Institute, Toyota and US Bank, among others.
Find out more here about Sherpa.
The Expert Series is brought to you by choice Magazine as part of our ongoing efforts to bring opportunities for learning and growth to the coaching community. Delivered in four parts every two weeks, each series covers useful topics for business development and coaching insights, serving the needs of leaders in all areas and walks of life. Archived copies of the previous series can be found here.
