What is Happily Thriving?

For some reason, “happily” and “thriving” don’t seem to fit together very well.  Thriving implies being successful according to the usual criteria of money and fame. Happiness, in comparison, seems like something that happens when you’re not doing anything but lounging around. So, an explanation is in order.

The truth is that the two are not mutually exclusive. You can be happy while you are thriving, but it does require a more well-rounded approach to achieving success.

We all know that it takes a lot of hard work and skill (relevant education and training, communication skills, time management, leadership skills, etc.) in order to be successful. Those are all important, of course, but there are some core practices that are equally important. Oftentimes, those aren’t even considered, or if they are, they may be brushed aside or deferred until we’ve achieved the success we desire.

That’s when the disconnect to happiness occurs.

What are those “core practices”?

• Maintaining meaningful relationships

• Practicing integrity

• Practicing kindness

• Behaving ethically

• Self-care

Meaningful relationships 

This applies to your loved ones. They can be family or close friends or both. It is critical to spend meaningful time with these people as you are climbing the ladder of success. Waiting until you get there is too late. Also, having time with them increases your happiness while you’re on that journey. By the way, this is an area where quality is more important than quantity. Make sure you are fully present during your interactions with loved ones.

Practicing integrity

There are three kinds of integrity. One involves being honest with yourself about your personal assets and liabilities and your behavior. That’s important for recognizing any improvements you may need to make.

Integrity also involves being honest with others. That is critical for engendering trust, which is vital for meaningful relationships and continued success. A lack of integrity interferes with happiness because you can’t really relax when you’re feeling guilty or wasting time keeping track of any lies you’ve told.

The third kind of integrity involves who you are in public. Sometimes we think we have to behave a certain way in order to be accepted. If that is you, you look forward to getting home so you can relax and “be yourself.” That kind of behavior is exhausting and not fair to ourselves or to others. It is one thing to improve your behavior (manners, awareness, communication skills, etc.), it is quite another to take on a persona that isn’t genuine. It is okay to be your best self, just make sure it’s your real self.

Practicing kindness

This means being friendly, generous, and considerate. It doesn’t cost anything to be friendly and considerate. Being generous typically does involve money or time. Don’t give more than you can afford but don’t be stingy either. Be sure to be kind without expecting anything in return too. When you do that, you’ll feel really good about yourself. That’s huge when it comes to being happy.

Behaving ethically

This is critical to happily thriving if you’ve got any kind of conscience at all. What is ethical behavior? It is behavior that is moral, right, fair and good. Why is that important? It is the foundation of a civilized society. It helps foster communication and trust between people. It helps prevent wars. It helps assure that everyone will be treated fairly and that the most vulnerable will be taken care of.

Behaving ethically is important in all areas of your life. Make sure you are honest and fair with your customers, clients, employees and supervisors. Obey laws (except maybe for speeding 😉). Don’t cheat on your partner or lie to your friends. In essence, don’t do anything that you might later regret. And be sure to apologize if you screw up. Behaving ethically allows you to look yourself in the mirror every day and be proud of who you are. It also helps you to attract good karma and sleep better at night. All of those things will help you be happy as you thrive.

Self-care

This is important to happily thriving because it gives you energy. You need energy in order to employ the tools of success, to follow core practices and to enjoy life. There are a few components to self-care:

• Sleep. I know it is hard for anyone, thriving or not, to get enough sleep but you really have to make it a priority—even if that means short naps during the day, catching up on weekends, or eliminating TV or phone scrolling.

  
  

• Exercise. If you don’t have time to go to the gym or do some outside exercise, at least make time to walk a little or climb stairs instead of taking the elevator, etc. Remind yourself that any exercise is better than no exercise at all. Exercise not only helps with energy, it will also help you feel better about yourself.

  
  

• Eat healthy. You don’t have to be a vegetarian or cook meals from scratch or take any other drastic measures. Drop some sweets, chips and crackers and add in some fruits and vegetables. This might make you feel better and should also help your energy level.

  
  

• Make time to rest and reflect. This will help you to remain focused on your priorities and your core practices.

  
  

• Make time for fun! That’s a great way to add to your happiness!

At this point, you might be thinking that the core practices are good ideas but that some or all of them are luxuries you just can’t afford right now. I understand that feeling. However, here are a few reasons why you might want to make them a priority anyway:

• These practices will actually help improve your chances for success. People who are liked and respected typically enjoy more long-term success than others.

  
  

• You can only get away with bad or inconsiderate behavior for so long before people will give up on you.

  
  

• You cannot take your good health for granted.

  
  

• Bad karma sucks.

If you need help staying on track, you might want to purchase my Thrive by Wisdom Inspiration Card Kit. It offers daily reminders that focus on the core practices and other ideas to help you Happily Thrive.