The BIGG Successs Show
Stop Being So Happy
New research shows that happiness is overrated. Read the show summary at biggsuccess.com.
Welcome to The Big Success Show. Today, we'll talk about why you should not be so happy. The Big Success Show with George and Mary Lynn. Mary Lynn, maybe the Rolling Stones were on to something. Well, they were definitely on something, I think. But we won't go into that. The other song, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." There's this new study out that says that happiness is overrated. Not being so satisfied. Not getting enough satisfaction might be a good thing. This study was recently published in Perspective on Psychological Science. And we've got a link to that on our blog today at BigSuccess.com. Researchers asked participants to rate their happiness on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most happy. Yeah, and what they found is that happy people are more likely to get married. They're more likely to stay married. They're healthier, they volunteer more, they get more favorable reviews at work, and they make more money. Well, it sounds like it's a good thing to be happy. So why the heck are we telling people not to be so happy? Well, that's a good question, Mary Lynn, but the study didn't end there. Here's what they also found. The people who put their happiness level at a 10 on the scale, made significantly less money than people who were only in 8 or 9. And they cite that the reason for this is because the happiest people tend to get complacent. They're comfortable. And so today we're going to talk about three reasons why less happy people make more money. The first reason is this, less happy people respond to changes. If you're too happy where you are and with what you know, then you don't adopt to new technologies, new strategies, new approaches because you're just fine with the way things are. Problem with that is this, things are changing faster than ever before. And if you're not careful, you're going to get behind. And as my dad used to say, the faster I go, the behinder I get. If you don't keep moving on, you'll make a lot less money. Number two, less happy people are always looking for an edge. It's all about continual improvement, moving beyond what you know to what you don't know. And at that point, that's where personal growth occurs. And as humans, that's where we find meaning in life. Yeah, these less happy people are constantly testing their limits. They're most comfortable when they're on the edge of their comfort zone rather than just hanging in that comfort zone. And number three, less happy people are always asking this question. What's next? They reach a goal, celebrate, but then set another goal. They always look for the next highest mountain to climb as the glory is being on top. But the challenge of getting there is the fun part. It's all about a learning process, right? And what are you learning? You're learning about yourself. And that's what excites the most successful people. Coming up, a technique to be less happy so you can make more money. Today, we're talking about a study that shows that being too happy can actually be costly. And here's a great technique to keep yourself from getting so happy. And that is the think back to when you were first getting started. Marilyn, when you were first getting started, do you remember how hungry you were? Well, yeah, because I was making so little money. I can barely pay for it. I was very hungry in many ways. Well, let me ask you this. Can you go back to that time in your mind and picture it as if it were happening right now? Yes, I see myself standing in radio station production room. It's very late at night. I'm working on a project for free so that I can learn some new skills. And I'm very, very, very tired. But it was exciting, I bet, right? Well, I knew I had to do that. I had to learn that in order to move on in advance. Well, and with this technique, that's where you start is to visualize it as if it were happening right now. We've talked about that before on The Big Success Show. And we've got a link on our blog today to our visualization exercise that really takes you deep into that whole thing. Yeah, and in order to do it, you have to use all your senses. So get a clear vision of how hungry you were and now try to project that into the future. Using the same technique, using all of your senses, visualize one thing that you really, really, really want. And keep visualizing it until you're as hungry for this new endeavor as you were for an old one when you were just getting started. Yeah, so what's the next big thing for you? Take yourself to another level. For some of you, that may even be a level that you thought you'd never achieve. Well, congratulations, you're ready to go for it. You can find a written summary of today's show on our blog at bigsuccess.com. We've also got a link to that visualization exercise we just mentioned and to the study that we've been referring to today on the show. And here's an idea. If maybe that next thing for you is a second business, we have a free special report. We call it our second business report that we can send to you if you email us at biginfo@bigsuccess.com and just put second business report in the subject line. And before we go, let's get our big quote for the day. Our big quote today comes from Thomas Edison who said, "You light up my life." How's Debbie Boone? What are you talking about? That's right. Maybe she was talking about Thomas Edison. You know, come to think of it. Probably it was a tribute to him. Well, Thomas Edison said, "We shall have no better conditions in the future if we are satisfied with all those which we have at present." And as Bobby McFerrin would say, "So don't worry. Be happy. Just don't be content." George, are you okay? Man, that was quite a trip. Not a good one. What the heck is going on with you? I don't know. So we're up. I was getting ready to talk about our next show title, but I'm almost embarrassed to say what it is now. Next time, we're going to ask, "Can you walk and chew gum at the same time?" Well, I guess we know the answer for you. Unfortunately, I guess we do. And the fallout continues. Until then, here's to your big success. The Big Success Show at B-I-G-G Success.com. [music] [silence]