You know how people always say, “you can do whatever you want as long as it makes you happy”?

Remember that?

I used to wonder: what on earth does that mean anyway?

I am happy whenever I eat ice cream. So can I just inhale chocolate ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and forget about that sad looking salad?

Not quite, of course.

But you keep hearing people say things like:

• I just want to be happy.
• Money doesn’t buy happiness.
• If only [fill in whatever you want here: “I’m rich”, “I’m married”, “I live in a bigger place”], I’ll be happy.

And wherever I look, there seems to be this conclusion that happiness is the result of GETTING something, someone, some place, or some big goal.

So when I saw how Denmark is ranked one of the happiest countries in the world, I thought it was interesting how they’d measure gain by Gross National Happiness, and not, as Americans would, only by weighing GNP or GDP.

To the point where they would give tired yet hopeful new parents a FULL year off from work to focus on, well—what else: happiness.

What’s even more interesting though, is that even though they prioritize happiness, they STILL manage to produce at an impressive record. 

It doesn’t mean of course that they don’t know how to put in the hours to get things done.

But it does mean that happiness, after all, might not just be about something that we FIND.

Instead, it’s more like something that we MAKE.

• Active, more than reactive.
• Choice, rather than just chance.
• Present-tense, not future tense.

Having lived in different continents, moved around for the majority of my life, and having seen both happy AND miserable multi-millionaires build their business from the ground up, I started to realize that not enough people talk about this.

But we should. 

Which is why today, I want to share with you my top 5 Rules of Happiness for business owners.

1. It is not supposed to be there ALL the time. So don’t go looking.

Can you imagine if your favorite superhero never once had a problem they needed to solve? I’d call that a pretty boring story. Not to mention unrealistic. Work and business is no different. You can’t have a high without a low. Your senses will turn numb if you’re constantly “happy”.

So the next time you feel like quitting because so-and-so just won’t buy, remember that you have new chapters that you can—and should—write. 

It will pass.

1. Happiness does not exist in a void.

This is coming from an introvert who’d honestly rather kick back with a book than go out for happy hours.

But I’ve learned something over the years: in giving, you will get.

If anyone ever tells you that it’s all about get, hustle, and bang, you might want to be careful who you listen to. You can’t find happiness only thinking about yourself or just by doing a bunch of personal, meditation, or mindset hacks.

Start giving.

Make it productive happiness. Rather than just internal happiness that, if gone, only makes you an addict.

1. It might take TWO to make you unhappy—you and something or someone else. But it only takes ONE to make yourself happy. You.

In other words—it’s a choice.

If you’ve been pounding the pavement all day trying to move things, and you feel stuck ... Go ahead. Eat something fatty. Binge-watch your favorite show. Then get back to it.  

Your choice.

1. When it comes to finite goals, not enough is OK. Never enough is not.

If our life has an expiration date, why not our goals? 

Whether you decide to give your idea or a new business a try, commit to trying for a period of time of your choice.

And then be kind to yourself.

Give yourself the permission—and opportunity towards happiness—to go after that other shiny object AFTER you’ve passed that self-imposed time stamp and have given your idea the chance that it deserves.

You get to decide.

1. As for your big, infinite goals and values, happiness comes when you realize that you can’t (and shouldn’t) do it alone.

Whenever you can automate, delegate, and share a cause with your colleagues, friends, employees, or even clients, you’ll be reminded of the one constant in humanity: you don’t have to do it alone.

Meaning comes from being meaningful to something or someone else.

If there’s no recipient on the other end of your talents, you’re depriving yourself the single biggest reason most people start a business: making happiness.

Happiness for yourself AND the people whose lives are changed by your business.

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As we dig into what it takes to be happy at work, in business, and in life, join listeners from 33+ other countries, by FOLLOWING and SUBSCRIBING to the show .

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This is why I wanted to dive into what productive people know about happiness that most people do not.

Because what’s the point of all your hard work if you can’t be happy?

Growth Solvers, let’s talk about:

• 04:18 The AHA moment that can actually change your business game.
• 06:26 What boldness has anything to do with to-do lists.
• 11:49 What gives you energy v. what drains your energy.
• 12:34 The surprising #1 energy drain that affects your work, life, and motivation.
• 13:14 What it really looks like to let go of things you can’t control.
• 13:50 The difference between linking time & money versus time & energy.
• 15:00 How to find what recharges you and using that knowledge to stay on top.
• 15:53 How to be a successful introvert even if you have to constantly be around other people.
• 16:20 How to work from home with your family in a way that gets things done—while staying sane.
• 17:53 When to lean into structure & when to be more spontaneous.
• 18:36 How NOT to get stuck sacrificing what you like and how you like to do things.
• 18:49 The surprising reason why you keep starting and stopping.
• 20:25 What to do IF you think that you’re doing too much.
• 21:18 What you CAN do to motivate massive changes in your life.
• 21:59 What happens once you quit something.
• 23:39 How to have just zero or ONE thing on your mind at any given time.

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Learn more about what it takes to be happy at work, in business, and in life, and join listeners from 33+ other countries, by FOLLOWING and SUBSCRIBING to the show .

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Learn more about Michael McDonald, Integrity Leader and click here.

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If you want to learn more about how to be happy EVEN IF your life feels pretty non-stop, check out