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The Pursuit of Happiness
"The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government." - Thomas Jefferson
There is much more to being human than mere survival. We are hardwired to aspire, dream, and reach for the stars. Whether deep friendships, true love, higher mastery, or greater impact, this longing makes us feel fully alive. The Declaration of Independence marks the birth of America with an iconic statement that channels this longing as the ethos of a new nation:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Thomas Jefferson wrote these words, inspired by the British philosopher John Locke, who formulated the concept of natural rights granted by a power higher than a king or a government. Locke argued that the primary role of any government is to secure those rights. In a profound and deliberate choice, Jefferson expanded Locke's original formulation of "life, liberty, and property," broadening the scope from material wealth to include overall well-being and personal fulfillment.
Inspired by Enlightenment ideas, the Founding Fathers wove the pursuit of happiness into the very fabric of American culture, education, policy, and national discourse. When John Adams declared, "The happiness of society is the end of government," he set a lofty aspiration for all modern democracies. This unprecedented and brilliant move embedded powerful values into the American system of government, fortified by checks and balances to withstand tyranny and destructive ideologies.
The word "pursuit" in the context of the Declaration of Independence did not mean an elusive or abstract quest but an expectation of mastery with tangible outcomes and achievable goals. It had the same practical connotations as when it's used in the context of pursuing a career. The word "happiness" also had a richer meaning in the 18th century. It encompassed a sense of well-being and flourishing that was closely aligned with the concept of "eudaemonia" from classical philosophy. Eudaemonia meant leading a life of moral virtue. Beyond personal contentment, it meant contributing to the common good and working towards collective prosperity.
I must have picked up this signal from thousands of miles away through books, films, and music and being immersed in African culture that radiates joy and celebration in the most humble circumstances. Somehow, the pursuit of happiness became a core value and a north star in life for me.
Is This All There Is for Me?
I was at the peak of my music career, staring out the window in a train car, when something shifted in me. The train was taking me and my crew to the next stop of a multi-city tour. We played large venues across fifteen countries that comprised the cultural ecosystem of the former USSR. Playing to thousands of fans and hearing them sing along night after night was pure magic. Only a tiny fraction of musicians get to live the life I was living, and I was well aware of how lucky I was. Yet, a persistent thought came from the core of my being on that train ride:
"Is this all there is for me?"
I distinctly remember this moment of extreme clarity, realizing I should consider moving on from music to other things. It was not out of a sense of entitlement nor a lack of gratitude. It was the realization that I would not be happy or fulfilled if I stayed on my path. I realized I wasn't that quintessential artist who lives and breathes music alone. I was living the dream of that artist; it was just not my dream. There were parts of me that remained dormant in an otherwise successful life. I had become a Christian and wanted to use my talents to help people elevate their spiritual lives. I also felt the pull of philanthropy and a sense that my international upbringing and education called for a broader scope of work in media and entrepreneurship. I was single at the time and knew that my desire to someday build a strong family would eventually interfere with my extensive travel schedule and life in the public eye. I was successful but not happy. There was more to me than this one thing, wonderful as it was.
I mustered the courage to communicate my intent to my business partners, band, and staff. Unsurprisingly, they all thought I was crazy. Why would I walk away from a successful music career, which by then included our first spin-off project, a girl band that was gaining popularity and becoming a massive hit, starting multiple solo careers over the following twenty years? It meant walking away from millions of dollars.
The transition took a few years, but it set in motion an evolution I could not have orchestrated or predicted. Pursuing "eudaemonia" drove me to study, interview, and learn from some of the top experts in human flourishing. Not settling for anything less than the pursuit of happiness has been transformative for me, allowing me to reach higher than I thought possible and serve countless more people than I would have otherwise. I now help purpose-driven professionals answer the same question I asked myself on that fateful train ride and have a front-row seat to their transformation and impact in the world. The brightest and most talented people are often caught up in this one-dimensional version of themselves. They end up living someone else's dreams and missing out on their unique contributions to humanity. When they find the courage and take decisive action, beautiful things happen.
As it turns out, the question "Is this all there is for me?" is universal. It visits us deep in the core of our being as a whisper we often sweep aside as frivolous or impractical. In the same way, physical pain signals something is off with our body; this question frequently signals something is off in our lives. We ignore it and keep going because answering it may mean taking a risk and stepping into uncertainty. The riskiest thing we can do is live someone else's version of a successful life. While the world around us teaches us to be realistic and stay in our lane, those who refuse to settle for anything less than the pursuit of happiness have a chance to unlock the secret to what I call exponential living. The power of pursuing happiness is more than an inspirational line from a self-help book; it is a well-researched phenomenon that brings tremendous benefits to those who dare to go on this journey.
Happiness Comes Before Success
In the last 20 years, a quiet revolution has been unfolding in what we know about happiness, dispelling the stereotype of happiness as unimportant or ethereal. Study after study has shown that happy people tend to be healthier, wealthier, and live longer than their unhappy counterparts.
Harvard researcher Shawn Achor presented compelling evidence that happiness precedes success and not the other way around. Running for over 80 years, the Harvard Study on Adult Development, also known as the Harvard Happiness Study, led by Robert Waldinger, has provided valuable insights into the dimensionality of happiness. The Positive Psychology movement, initiated by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, has revolutionized the field by shifting the focus from pathology to well-being. Sonja Lyubomirsky of the University of California, Riverside, and author of "The How of Happiness," has brought practical strategies to mastering happiness. Author and researcher Tal Ben-Shahar founded the first Happiness Academy, where he trains mental health professionals, business leaders, healthcare providers, and researchers. The field of happiness in the workplace has exploded as data poured in on its impact on financial performance, enhanced innovation, teamwork, collaboration, and higher productivity. Businesses tend to pay attention when something can dramatically improve the bottom line and their ability to compete in the marketplace.
I regularly speak to experts in the field on my podcast and can clearly see a direct correlation between the pursuit of happiness as a core American value and the extraordinary success of the American experiment. Unsurprisingly, most of the research and expertise on happiness and positive psychology comes from the US. It seems that the pursuit of happiness may be the single most potent cultural antidote to collectivistic ideologies actively corroding Western civilization and wreaking havoc in much of Europe. It is also the most valuable resource and competitive advantage the West has on the global stage against undemocratic and top-down government systems. Nations flourish when people flourish, not the other way around. There is no more powerful fuel to maximizing human potential and contributing to the collective good than finding and pursuing our purpose in life.
The wisdom of this quintessential American value is echoed by some of the most influential voices in America.
"The pursuit of happiness is real. We all have different ways of measuring it; for America, it means that every person has the right to aspire to their version of it." - Maya Angelou
"Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Happiness comes from you. No one else can make you happy. You make you happy." - Beyoncé
"For me, happiness is not about winning or losing; it's about enjoying life and being the best person you can be." - LeBron James
"True happiness... is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose." - Helen Keller
"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." - Benjamin Franklin
PSA 2 of 2 - The pursuit of happiness is unachievable without resilience and anti-fragility because it entails facing uncertainty and change. My next free webinar on Anti-Fragility and Thriving in Times of Change I’ll teach you proven and actionable strategies to develop this essential quality in life.
When: June 29th, 12PM CST
If you’re struggling to deal with change or getting ready to start a new chapter and need the tools to excel, this webinar is for you. If all the spots are taken, add your name to the waitlist. We keep these webinars small for deeper interaction and Q&A, and we don’t record them.