Can happiness truly be measured, or is it a spectrum affected by various aspects of our lives? Join me, Michael Kane, on "Living your Success 24-7" as we dissect the complex and personal nature of happiness. Through this episode, you'll gain an understanding of how happiness isn't a perfect state but a blend of satisfied and unsatisfied life segments. From health and job satisfaction to relationships, we explore how you can find contentment by focusing on the positives, even when some areas of life remain less than ideal.
Ready to discover the proactive steps you can take to foster a happier life? We'll discuss the importance of setting realistic goals and the power of a supportive community using a relatable example of overcoming challenges in a difficult math class. Listen as we highlight the significance of deliberate actions, such as seeking help and utilizing available resources, to create an environment ripe for success. Learn how to manage external factors and the coexistence of unhappiness with overall happiness, reinforcing that your intentional efforts can lead to a more fulfilling and joyous life.
Can happiness truly be measured, or is it a spectrum affected by various aspects of our lives? Join me, Michael Kane, on "Living your Success 24-7" as we dissect the complex and personal nature of happiness. Through this episode, you'll gain an understanding of how happiness isn't a perfect state but a blend of satisfied and unsatisfied life segments. From health and job satisfaction to relationships, we explore how you can find contentment by focusing on the positives, even when some areas of life remain less than ideal.
Ready to discover the proactive steps you can take to foster a happier life? We'll discuss the importance of setting realistic goals and the power of a supportive community using a relatable example of overcoming challenges in a difficult math class. Listen as we highlight the significance of deliberate actions, such as seeking help and utilizing available resources, to create an environment ripe for success. Learn how to manage external factors and the coexistence of unhappiness with overall happiness, reinforcing that your intentional efforts can lead to a more fulfilling and joyous life.
Hello there, this is Living your Success 24-7 with Michael Caine. Michael Caine in the house. Anyway, how are all of you doing? Doing well? I hope so. Raise your hand if you're happy. If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.
Speaker 1:
Remember that song? Some of you I'm dating myself maybe, but at any rate, the topic of today's show is why I sang that little line is it's about happiness, and so you know, what does happiness mean? What is the result or the cause of happiness? Let's explore this, shall we? So I do want to say thank you, before we get started, for tuning me in, and I appreciate it. I welcome you as subscribers, please. I encourage you. If you're not a subscriber, please subscribe to this podcast, living your Success 24-7, where yours truly, michael Caine, and that's with a K-A-N-E, so please share it with family and friends, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 1:
And so let's get to it. You know it sounds so simple. Oh, that's simple. What makes me happy? And you know the answer. The response to that is different based on who you ask. Based on who you ask. So if I ask 200 of you that may be listening right now. What makes you happy? I'll hear some similarities, I'm sure, but it'll be different shades of gray, right, not just black and white. And that's fine, because your life is your life and that's what you should follow your heart, your dreams, your purpose, your goals, your passion, whatever it's your choice, and don't give that choice away, because this is a personal thing. Are you happy? What makes and how can you get there? How can you get to the land of happy? And so can't give you all those answers, because a lot is depending on you. So you do have to do some quiet, soul searching time to discover how can I get to that land of happiness. But we do have to define it, and each of you may have your own definition, whatever that may be, to what is happiness. Let me go first, and then you go second, third, fourth, fifth, until you get to a thousand people listening to this.
Speaker 1:
Michael Caine, are you happy? It's a loaded question, isn't it? Because kind of yes or no, all right, so I'm going to be solid and just say yes, I'm happy. Is my life going exactly to plan? No, heck, no, I should say the other word.
Speaker 1:
So how can you be happy if you're not getting everything you want? That's another loaded question. Are we really going to get everything we ever wanted since we were born to, whatever age we are today? So my definition I'm changing a bit. I'm predominantly satisfied Now. Is it 60-40, 70-30, 80-20? Probably. I have about 20% that hasn't reached the land of happy yet.
Speaker 1:
So how can you be happy? Well, I would say, if you're over 50% happy, you're happy. But us human beings like to make stuff complicated, don't we? So you're never, ever, ever, forever going to get exactly everything you wanted since you turned one or you came out of your mother's womb. Okay, just didn't happen, not going to happen.
Speaker 1:
So we're looking at percentages here. That's the way I see it. So my definition is if I reach 70%, I'm all right. If I reach 80% of happy out of 100, I'm all right. If I reach 80% of happy out of 100, I'm doing great, and I'll leave it at that. Now it'll just be wonderful if it reaches 90, 95%, 98%. Now am I grateful to be alive and pretty much healthy, 100% happy on the health. So you can have subcategories of what happy is and like health and say, well, yeah, I'm good, I'm cool, and so let's further segment it.
Speaker 1:
On the job, are you happy, michael Caine? I would say yes. I would say yes, I'm a little bit more than 80-20, arguably 85-15. How's that? And so, pretty much so, and I can go down the list. I'm going to give you my whole itinerary of happy Just to give you an idea the way I view it and the way I think you should. In terms of waiting to get everything you absolutely ever wanted in this life to be happy, you're going to miss your whole life. You're just not going to. It's just going to. This is not going to be a good thing.
Speaker 1:
Relationships OK, I know a lot of people still looking for wives and husbands and stuff like that. A lot of people still looking for wives and husbands and stuff like that. And the time clock is ticking because time moves on, regardless of your situation, can't stop time. In fact, by the time I just said that it's in the history books. So I understand that some people want children, so they're not happy with that. Some people aren't happy with their economic situation and you know what, Even though some people can improve economically, get a better job, get more money, if you ask a lot of them, are you predominantly happy? A lot of people would say yes, a lot of people say no. So you know, it's not a slam dunk either way. That's why it's very individually defined. That's why it's very individually defined Are you happy? What makes you happy? Will you be happy? Do you think you'll be happy? It goes deeper into the woods, or should I say the weeds. Okay, so I have.
Speaker 1:
What I've done is and a lot of us do this on every New Year's or certain special occasions where you write a bucket list out or wishes that you hope come true. And so, essentially, I would start with that Just write down a list of things Define happiness for you. Just write a definition Things that give me pleasure, take me a land to beyond my current reality. Perhaps you know, perhaps you know, things that make me smile, things that bring me this inner peace and joy, makes me happy. And what are those things? And that's the list I'm telling you about.
Speaker 1:
You should write a list of all the stuff that you believe would make you happy and be very specific. Don't just say, oh, if I were rich, I would be happy. Well, you may never be rich or you'll just be miserable. Is what you're really saying so, and I'm not talking about just hopes and prayers and lottery here. Let's be realistic and grounded in reality here. And this is a real list that I believe you should write and bullet for yourself, and you don't have to write this essay or memo or anything like that, a book about it, but just say if I could earn, let's say economically, if I could just find a great job in my field let's say I'm an accountant five, 10 years experience, let's say, where it pays me $75,000 a year, I'll be happy.
Speaker 1:
Okay, if I get over this flu, I will certainly be happy. If I get over this poor grades in school by studying more, I will be happy. Getting a tutor, maybe I will be happy If I get this podcast off the ground and get 1 million subscribers, that'll make me happy. 1 million subscribers, I will be happy. But I will be happy, truth be told, if I get 50,000. If I get 50,000. Okay. So you know, if I sell my screenplay for $200,000 to Hollywood, I will be happy. So you know, very specific, in six months, starting July 1st through December 31st, I will be happy, very specific. So if my children are happy, I will be happy. It'll be all over the place.
Speaker 1:
So you get the idea now, and so a lot of us, many of us, think of happiness as something that you essentially have to chase, that you essentially have to chase, that you have to run down. Oh, my happiness is Ontario, now it's in Germany, now it's in Spain, and my happiness in wherever San Diego, los Angeles and you're chasing, you're chasing, you're chasing for something, and I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing, but it could possibly waste your time too. There's little ifs and buts in this. I'm not totally writing off chasing your dreams, but I want to give you a different perspective, which I received miraculously through a fortune cookie the other day. So the company, the Chinese restaurant, that, and the vendor, whoever created these you know little sayings, um, and a fortune cookies, um, and you can say, oh, I agree or disagree, whatever, but I thought this was a revelation to me because it says, quote don't pursue happiness. Okay, here's the drum roll, create it. I was like, oh my God, that's a high five moment. Don't pursue happiness Now. It doesn't say not to work towards your dreams and your goals and purpose in life and that fantasy you want to come real. It doesn't say not to go after that, don't get it wrong here. But it says create it. What it's saying is the operative word is create. It saying is the operative word is created is put yourself in a position where that specific happiness or overall happiness will happen.
Speaker 1:
Now let me give an example, for example. I gave one example as far as if I do well in school, let's say you're failing a subject, algebra or geometry, calculus, you name it, trigonometry, very challenging, difficult math components. Now you say I'll be happy if I do well. Well, what does that mean? Well, if I get an A A plus, I'll be happy if I do well. Well, what does that mean? Well, if I get an A A plus, I will be happy. And some people say if I just get a C, a passing score, I will be happy. So what's the nexus there? Just because you say it don't make it so right. So what you have to do is what it means don't pursue happiness, so right. So what you have to do is what it means don't pursue happiness. In this case you're pursuing an A plus and some of you a C plus, maybe C minus C, and we'll talk about achievement and higher accomplishments on another episode.
Speaker 1:
But to create the happiness here with the failing math class is to what Study? Bust your blank, blank. Bust your butt. Get some new friends that know how to do math. Get a tutor. If you have to pay for it, it's free. Go to the library, go sign up, other students will help you.
Speaker 1:
I was in college where we helped each other. People that were accomplished in one area helped somebody that could help them in another area. Okay, so they, you know kind of barter, you know what I mean. And so hunt those people down. Whoever my listeners are in college and school where they can help you, or pay, like I said, pay a tutor too. Talk to your teacher too, and they can give you pointers.
Speaker 1:
And what have you? Do what you need to do. Do your homework, do extra credit, study practice, rehearse these math problems. Guess what you're doing. You're creating an environment that will make you happy. Instead of just trying to not do the things necessary, take the steps necessary to be successful in this hypothetical math class, because you could pursue it all as people chasing, you know whatever the short, quick methods. Instead of studying, instead of taking the time to do the hard work, they're looking for shortcuts, or they're in la-la land and not doing anything, expecting to show up well and thinking, oh, I'm blessed, I'll just do well. No, you gotta take action. So create it to me. Don't pursue happiness, create it. It's creating the elements, the structure, the foundation which will cause me to be successful in this particular endeavor, which will therefore cause me, or enable me, to accept happiness at that point.
Speaker 1:
And a lot of prayer I don't want to get religious on you Pray, pray, meditate, in addition to taking the action of studying. Get off your butt. And I struggled through some of those courses. Oh my God, think you're going to die, right? Think you're like it's over. Life isn't over. I survived. It had to bust my butt. Double bust my butt, double bust my butt. That's what I had to do.
Speaker 1:
Did all the above Tutors, friends, colleagues, people I didn't know, made friends, saying, hey, I need some help. Okay, and we did that, had a community. That's why you don't burn your bridges. And you know, be a normal person and be kind to other people. You know it'll make it easier on you. And if you're, get out of your cocoon, if you're on the shy side I was extra super shy you got to get out of that cocoon to get and ask somebody you got to get help. Don't want to drown unnecessarily. Drown in a sea of the unhopeless. I don't know if I made that word up, the unhopeless. I sure like it though. Man, I looked that one up, unhopeless. I think I made it up, but anyway, it goes with this conversation. Yeah, and get over the fact that I just made up a word possibly. Oh God, he's making up words. Oh, some people don't have enough life. Okay, so get a life, get my point. So, anyway, create your happiness.
Speaker 1:
If you want to write, be a novelist, write, learn writing. Learn whatever language it is you're in and practice writing in the area you want to write in it. Want to be articles, want to be poems, want to be novels or nonfiction fiction, whatever it is, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do it. Like Nike says, to quote them, just do it. Excuse me, kind of coughed today. I was trying to shake it, man, maybe I need some water, but anyway I'll be happy if I get some water. How's that? So you can be happy overall, but unhappy in certain areas Could be a relationship.
Speaker 1:
You know somebody's acting a fool and in a relationship and you know you're unhappy about it, you know somebody's not treating you right, you're unhappy about it. But let's say, most of your other areas of your life you're doing well and if you're human, maybe all most of it is, except for maybe certain exceptions is doing bad, poorly, doing ill. It's like having that where you have three or four categories of your life at the job, your health, relationships all suck. I've been there, been there, done that, and so as long as there's other people on this planet, somebody is going to ruffle your feathers. Somebody's going to do their best to make you unhappy. Somebody's going to do their best to try to make you fail or not assist you or do whatever it takes.
Speaker 1:
Do not let these vampires oh God, one day I should mention names, I should just unload it, unload the names. But I won't do that, not today. Oh, they're saying. Oh, my God. So thank you. Now don't mention my name being evil. So anyway, there's people out there that are vampires.
Speaker 1:
I normally like vampire movies, but when it comes to real life, when people just suck the unhappy, that just suck the happiness out of you, you know they need to go somewhere. Too bad. We can't get those folks and put them on some island like killer island or something like that. That would be good, wouldn't it? Okay, my fantasy's over Back to reality. Little entertainment piece here.
Speaker 1:
But don't let those people get to you. I know it's hard. People that just suck the life force out of you and other people around them. Everyone else is laughing, smiling, having fun. They just suck the drain of sucker out of you, right? They just do it. Some people do it. They absolutely. You know, I always wanted to ask those people maybe we have to interview some evil people. Say do you just like to? Do you just get up in the morning and say how can I destroy people or make people's lives miserable? I mean, do they actually do that? Or they have an association and they all trade notes on how they can make people unhappy and destroy lives or something I don't know. I don't know, maybe a book out there for it, but maybe I'll write it. So don't let any body, including you, who you could be your worst enemy, steal your joke.
Speaker 1:
Ie happiness. Wake up this morning and every morning. That it's a blessing you woke up. Thank you God, I woke up. Whatever your belief is, that's what I'm saying. That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 1:
And if you're going through tough times, which a lot of people are, and, like I said, every element of my life is not super happy. Okay, I promise you that Not there, I haven't arrived at that. See, the key is you'll never arrive. You'll never get 100% of everything, every single category of your life. It's just not. You know, I'm not going to say it's impossible, but just don't. That's why it's good not to pursue and chase down all these things that you think will make you happy.
Speaker 1:
You have to work on it. You have to build and nurture, for example, the relationships of friends and significant others. You got to in terms of the job and career. You got to be decisive and go to school for, maybe, to get some technical skills. When I say school, it could be vocational and academic or academic. You know, you learn to be a carpenter You've got to go through that process. A doctor, lawyer, athlete, whatever it is, hip-hop star, singer, whatever In various genres, actors, actresses, musicians, etc. Etc. Artists, whatever it is. You have to apply yourself and put you into the equation so you will develop what you need to develop the knowledge and skills, abilities.
Speaker 1:
Sky here to an experience to do what you want to do in this life we have, because this life we have is not forever. Nothing is. So give it your best shot and start working on your happiness. Next week, right? No. Next month, no. Next year, no. Work on your happiness. Today, before midnight. Write it down what's going to make you happy.
Speaker 1:
Be careful where you put this list. Some nosy person may try to read it and they're on that list saying I wish so-and-so would go somewhere else. So you know, be tight on where you have your list and you know I wouldn't necessarily share this with everyone, but keep it close. But you do have to. You should you do what you got to do, but you should work on your happiness quotient and those things that will make you happy by your definition. And you know, don't do anything that will cause you grave harm and injury and, you know, disappointment. So be safe and whatever it is will make you happy. And if you need some help, some professional help, please seek counseling. I don't give counseling advice. I just share my experience and the experience that I know of others that I seen, observed and lived in and read right, and so I do wish all of you well in your pursuit, no, in your creation. I got you.
Speaker 1:
We're not. Yeah, on a bigger sense. Yeah, we're still gonna be going after our happiness, which is our dreams and our goals, but we're going to start creating the mechanisms and the routines today to put us in that land of maximum happy as much happiness as we can get, because if you're happy and stuff, you're going to live longer. You're going to enjoy life as much as possible by doing the things that you need to do and want to do. A lot of people just stop at the things they want to do and don't hit the things they need to do for survival, and that's where you get messed up. That's what they call broke, messed up and challenged. You got to do both. Do a lot of things we don't necessarily want to do, but I wouldn't over, don't overthink this. Do what you got to do to get ahead in this world life legally speaking and morally speaking, of course, in my point of view.
Speaker 1:
And so, again, please hit the notification, subscribe to this podcast, share it with family and friends. I have a book out there, slaying your Dragons Living the Life you Always Wanted on Amazon. Please support me by purchasing it as a motivation book and it's to help you to be internally motivated, because no one can get anybody to do anything. We can only encourage and support. So, that said, this is I almost forgot my newsletter Catalyst with a K. You can go on livingyoursuccesscom and subscribe and so anyway, it's a motivator. It talks about different things. To send a name catalyst to get you going, get you started, hopefully, coach you or give you something to ignite you to into action. So that's it. Thank you for listening to me. You have a great rest of the day, week, month, year, until next time, my friends. This is Michael Caine, with Living your Success 24-7. Adios.
