Status

Drinking beer and talking with guys was my career for a while. Seriously, I got paid for this. I mean not the drinking part, but the making it available to young men in college was my job. I owned 3 bars and a pizza restaurant from the ages of 22-31. It was a blast. The making money off of it part. Ok, the drinking with them too I guess. Many conversations with college-aged men (age 21-24) sounded a lot like this – “After I graduate, I will conquer (insert occupation or field of business) in this world, and I will probably retire by the time I am 35.” Seriously, this was a common agreed upon path – even before the alcohol kicked in. It was the status of success. I will be the best, I will conquer. Everyone will know that I am that good. That should make me happy. Being successful in my career has made me happy. But I haven’t seen a ranking of the top janitors in the world. And I am not sure if we would be #1 or #100 in the latest rankings. I know that the success we have had has brought me some happiness. But I am not sure that if I can distinguish if the status of my career and company made me happier in 2011 or 2014? I think that once we established a level of credibility in our markets and in our industry, then I was happy. I am not sure that since we have been distinguished as in the top 1% in our industry by getting CIMS-GB certification that I was necessarily happier. In my pursuit of happiness I am finding that my status does not make me happier. Happy, yes. Happier, no. What about you? Can your pursuit of your status in work, family, and life make you happier? Is image where we should be spending our time if we say that we want to be happier?