What Makes You Happy? Do That!

As we near the end of our school years (high school or college), we begin to think about what we want to do with the rest of our lives. We think about where we want to be in five, ten, twenty years. We think about what our profession will be, and what mark we dream of leaving on the world. The thing is, it’s not just when we are young that we ponder our purpose in life. We think about it throughout our lives. Unless you are one of the very few fortunate people that knows exactly what they want to do, and has spent your life thus far doing it, you will often find yourself thinking about your purpose, and wondering whether or not you will arrive at the end of your life with a ton of regret.

The thought of being on my deathbed and knowing that there is then literally not a single thing I can do about the regrets I have, scares me more than I can explain. The idea of dying with regrets is not only scary, but is also such a waste!

I’ve spent a long time thinking about what I am meant to be doing with my life. Don’t get me wrong, I am not unhappy. I am young, I own two very successful businesses, and am married to the girl of my dreams. But am I fulfilling my purpose? Am I leaving a mark? Is the work that I do anything more than just work? Is it meaningful?

So what do we do? What must we do for our lives and our work to make us feel fulfilled, and like we are making a difference? What must we do so we don’t end up on our deathbeds with regrets? I’ve been asking myself this for a while, and I’ve only just realised that I’ve been over complicating it. The key is: do what makes you happy!

Think about what you are doing when you are most happy and feel most content. Think about times that you get into bed at the end of a long day, and feel fulfilled and like you have made a difference. What were you doing? That, right there, is what you should be doing!

The added bonus of doing what we love is that we tend to do our best work when we are doing something that we love. When I asked myself what I love, and what I love to do, I discovered that my truest passions lie in technology and in helping other people. One of my businesses is already in the technology sector, but does it make people’s lives better? Do I wake up every morning excited because of the lives that my businesses are going to change that day? Sadly, no. So, I’m going to start a branch within my existing business that uses technology to truly make people’s lives better. Particularly underprivileged people.

For me, it’s not about money. I am incredibly blessed that my existing businesses have made me a fairly wealthy person, especially considering my age. I am about to turn 30. For me, it’s about making a difference. Don’t get me wrong, making money is not a bad thing. It takes something special these days to build a business, product or service that makes money (legally and morally). For some people, making money is simply a by-product of doing what they love. For others, they work incredibly hard in order to make money, so that they are able to help others, or do what they are passionate about doing.

So many people spend their lives doing something that doesn’t fulfill them, or even that they hate. It’s an unbelievably sad state of affairs. I know that due to circumstances and responsibilities, it’s not as simple as just doing what you want, starting tomorrow, but it can be done. It will take time and may be difficult, but it is most definitely possible.

What makes you happy? Take some time to think about what excites you. What are you passionate about? Don’t allow yourself to arrive at the end of your life with regrets you can do nothing about. Start today. Start slowly if you must. Work towards it. It’s not an overnight thing, but pursue your dreams and your passions day by day, step by step. That in itself will begin to make you feel more content, happier and more fulfilled.

So, what makes YOU happy?

Do THAT!!!