Is there a formula for success?

There are over 20 million millionaires in the USA. Yes, more that 20 million. If we do not measure the success with money but happy and satisfied life the number will go well over 100 million. But it does not mean they are poor and happy. Harvard made the longest survey ever on 724 people for 80 years. They studied the life of group of people from poor district of Boston and rich Harvard students. They studied their family, in come, health and environment for 75 years and many of them died during the research. But the family background did not affect the happiness but something else. So, what was the key finding?

Thomas S. Monson said, “First, fill your mind with truth; second, fill your life with service; and third, fill your heart with love.”

One thing to understand is quite important. Happiness and satisfaction and fulfillment are different things. The old saying “money will not buy happiness” is proved by our daily life. As I mentioned that we can count only in the USA over 20 million millionaires. But the research says not all rich people are happy. They admit that.

According to the AFEE (Action Faundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence) Behavioral psychology studies conclusively show that chasing the materialist Ameri-can dream is not making the United States a happier nation. In other words, once a country has a reasonable standard of living, more wealth does not lead to happier citizens. Once your basic needs are satisfied, chasing more money, power, fame, beauty or sex will not lead to a happier life.

Let’s think about what gives a pleasure and what gives a happiness. Sensual pleasures — good food, drink and sex — can bring great joy to life. But these are treats that must be sampled sparingly, because enjoyment drops off sharply if the experiences are repeated too frequently. The first taste of an ice cream cone can bring intense pleasure; the last spoonful from a gallon of ice cream may leave you feeling disgusted.

Then think about how did you achieve something in your life made you feel long lasting happy feelings. For example, may days of preparing for exam day and night and eventually passed it. Continuing to seek challenges and having friends of all ages is much more important than income.

Quite simply, we long for fulfillment while engaged in a futile pursuit of happiness.

A formula for happy life journey does not promise a life full of happiness. On the contrary, it means facing “dragons and giants,” challenges that stretch you to your limits and sometimes beyond.

Csikszentmihalyi and his researchers discovered flow by following tens of thousands of people in dozens of countries for several decades, asking them to record their activities and happiness levels many times each day. As expected, physical and bodily pleasures, like meals or sex, corresponded to higher levels of momentary pleasure. What was not expected was that intense periods of focused activity led to high levels of enjoyment that were sustained for much longer periods of time than sensual pleasures. He said“The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times . . . The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile”

Overcoming challenges releases chemicals like dopamine in our brains that make us feel good.

The above research of 700 people ended up the relationship is the key of successful and satisfied life. But not just having a good relationship with families and friends. It required sacrifice and unselfish acts. How does it start? Beginning a relationship simply requires a little curiosity about others.

Consciously choosing who to invest in relationships with makes a difference. Choosing to live with people whom you can afford and having a constant nurture to the people for having a good relationship makes life rich and long-lasting happiness.

That is why many people are attracted in clubs, gyms and groups where are more connected and start friendship. It includes church or religious organizations and art or musical organizations.

Even the most agnostic, scientific researchers have found that a connection to the transcendental leads to more personal happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment. “Religious Americans are clearly less likely to use drugs, commit crimes, divorce and kill themselves.” Religious people are more resilient and more effective at fighting depression. They are less affected by setbacks like divorce, unemployment, illness and death.

I chose to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints because I found the need of my own need. Which is to be felt of being part of something and feeling the care from other having full time opportunity to care others. Constant challenges of helping people not just in temporal things but spiritual way.

Having a busy life with family, business and church with time bound schedules and one to another new goals and tasks, it is all about the meaning of successful life. The sudden sum of money like lottery winning never brought happiness. This is about how you treat the life and pursue the happiness but not expecting to be given at some point weather worked for it or not.