6 Facts Of Life That Will Change How You View The World
Supported by real-life experiences and case studies.
1. Failure is a prerequisite for success.
Seldom do we achieve anything meaningful on the first try.
From the moment we were born our goal in life was to find our mother’s breast to receive her sweet milk we so longed for. We tried and tried and tried again until we finally obtained the object of our desire.
Then, when we tried to take our first steps, again we fell too many times to count. But each time we grew stronger and more capable until we finally succeeded.
Michael Jordan, widely considered to be the greatest basketball player in history, said it best.
I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
Through such efforts, we learn and grow.
2. The connection between money and happiness.
Singer and songwriter, Katy Perry, as well as actor and former wrestler, Dwayne Johnson, more commonly known as, The Rock, have both opened up about their battles with depression in their lives.
These are just two examples of a large list of celebrities who struggle to find happiness in spite of having an abundance of money.
You can have all the gold and silver in the world, but with that, if a person doesn’t make an effort to learn how to be in balance with nature, then it will always feel like its not enough.
But then what is the connection between happiness and wealth?
That was the question of Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton who conducted research on more than 2,000 people each with a net worth of at least $1 million.
They were asked on a scale of 1 to 10 how happy they were and how much more money they would need to get to a 10.
The results showed that “basically everyone says [they’d need] two or three times as much” money to be perfectly happy.
The fact is that the reception of any pleasure leads to an even greater deficiency to receive that pleasure. Hence, one who has more wants more.
3. It is better to give than to receive.
Actually, when we give we receive much more in return.
How come a mother can seemingly devote herself completely to her child even at the expense of her own needs?
Because by this she receives great pleasure. The feeling of closeness between her and her child necessitates that she cares for him.
It’s a law of nature.
And the constant care she gives creates a constant rush of hormones to the brain which in turn creates the perpetual habit of giving.
Well, it’s possible to build this same attitude with anyone.
All it takes is the right education and an environment that will promote the importance of caring for others.
4. Knowledge does not equal action.
Knowing something should be done is usually not enough to get a person off the couch. We also need desire.
The moment we have a sufficient desire for something we also acquire the force to act.
And we can accelerate this process of acquiring a true desire by joining together with others who also have the same aspirations.
Why do people join clubs, or work out in gyms (pre COVID-19 days), or attend business seminars?
Because we are influenced by our environment.
Meaning we receive additional desire and force to reach our goals when we see these goals are important to others.
So if you want to make life easier, and reach your potential faster, find a supportive environment that will help strengthen the importance of your life goals.
5. Our brains are hardwired to give.
Jorge Moll and Jordan Grafman, neuroscientists at the National Institute of Health, conducted studies on the origin of the impulse to give in the brain and the effect that giving has on a person.
According to the study,
The results demonstrated that when the volunteers placed the interests of others before their own, the generosity activated a primitive part of the brain that usually lights up in response to food or sex. Donating affects two brain “reward” systems working together: the midbrain VTA, which also is stimulated by food, sex, drugs, and money; as well as the subgenual area, which is stimulated when humans see babies and romantic partners.
This connection between altruism and euphoria, also known as the helper’s high has caused some to refer to altruism as the miracle drug due to its ability to bring one to intense states of heightened emotions not normally achievable by other means.
Herbert Benson, a Harvard cardiologist describes the act of helping others as “a door through which one can go to forget oneself and experience our natural hard-wired physical sensation.”
All this serves as a prime example of nature’s built-in reward system and a reminder that it's worthwhile learning about nature’s laws and how to better adapt ourselves to them.
6. Connection makes you immortal.
Well not exactly…
But it does extend your life!
In the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest studies on adult life to date, researches found that embracing community leads to an extension of life and an increase in happiness.
The director of the study, Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, had this to say, “The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health.”
So whether you’re looking for how to be happier, healthier, develop better self-esteem, or simply wondering how you can relieve your stress and anxiety, the answer is CONNECTION…
I sincerely hope you found this information valuable and I wish you success in all of your life endeavors!
And if you’d like more details on the Harvard Study of Adult Development you can watch Robert Waldinger’s Ted Talk below.
