Success vs Happiness

Fathers Purpose
Aug 26, 2017 · 3 min read

“Success is getting what you want. Happienes is wanting what you get”- W.P. Kinsella

For the longest time I have wanted more than what I have had. I have heard the, “Grass isn’t always greener” advice over and over again but chose not to listen. I didnt finish college the way that I planned. I changed jobs in search for importance and meaning. I have cut people out of my life because I judged them and the way they were living theirs. I have failed way more than I believed I would.

What I have learned from all of these experiences is that no matter where I am or who I am with, the outcome rests solely on my choices and my mindset. We can’t control much in the world today but what we can control is how we act and how we react to certain experiences. It is all on me and my perspective. So, when people try to lift me up and say, “Happiness is a state of mind”, maybe I should listen.

I have lived a great life so far and if It ended tomorrow the only regret I would have is that I didn’t come to my senses sooner. As upset as I am with myself for not enjoying myself earlier, I know that every decison I have made has led me to where I am and for that I am grateful. I have met some great people, seen some beautiful places, and have learned more about myself than I ever thought I would. So, how could I have any regrets about that?

When I was a child I remember asking my parents why they didn’t follow their dreams and I never fully understood their answer until now. My mother would say, “If I did that, I would never have met your father and you wouldn’t be here. So, I don’t regret any of my decisions”. Now that I have a child of my own I realize how important it is not to dwell on the past or any missed experiences because they are not important. What is important is where I am now.

That whole, “Living in the moment” attitude is starting to pay off and I believe I owe a great deal of that to the people who I care about most, my wife, my parents, my son, and my closest family and friends. They have put up with my negativity, my attitude, and my complaining for far too long. The past year they have opened my eyes to see the bigger picture of being happy with where I am. They have pointed out all the love and happiness that I have in my life as well as call me out on my bullshit. I owe my life to these people and the best way I can think of repaying them is to spend as much time as I can with them.

When I look back at all of the books that I have read and all the feelings that I felt about success, I do not regret these experiences. I learned a lot and I find value in everything. I hope to take what I have learned and have it contribute to my journey. I have a lot of life left to live and I don’t plan on letting it get cut short.

My goal moving forward is to enjoy every single second of this life and to redirect my focus from success and aim for happiness. Happiness is what keeps you feeling young, valuable, and important. I plan to enstill the same positive feelings in everyone that I encounter and I hope other can learn from me.

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Fathers Purpose

Written by

Hi, I'm Nick. My loves in life are my wife, two dogs, and my beautiful new born son. I have created FathersPurpose to help as many fathers as I possibly can.

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