Pursuit of Happyness

Gardner: My life headed down its current path when I had enough nerve, curiosity and plain desire to ask a stockbroker in a San Francisco parking lot, who was getting out of a Ferrari, two questions: "What do you do?" and "How do you do that?"  But along the way I have routinely asked myself a couple of questions that have been instrumental to my emotional, financial, and spiritual success at every step of my journey. And now, in an effort to pay it forward, to help the thousands of people who write to me each year, come up to me on the street and approach me after events, I tell them to ask themselves these questions, too.  They are the tools of empowerment -- they shake us out of our comfort zones and inspire us to move onto bolder paths of pursuit.

1.  "What is it that you hope to accomplish?" 

Sounds simple, sure, but you must be able to articulate this to yourself and others CLEARLY.  Vagueness or ambivalence can be the kiss of defeat, if not death, in some pursuits and are often why some folks get lost in their efforts. Being clear allows you to see your plan unfolding in your own mind, and then communicate it so that others can see it too.

2.  "How did I get here?"

Now this is kind of a trick question.  Because it requires you to come to terms with the fact that even if you didn't set your GPS for this destination and would rather be anywhere else than here, you'll be moving into a higher gear if you can admit that for the most part, "Well, okay, yes, I drove myself here." And if you can't admit that yet, you are not ready yet to take ownership of your choices -- and that's key for getting ahead.  Stop blaming others.  We have to choose to own the actions we take. This includes not only the joys and victories, but the mistakes, failures, disappointment, hurt, and insult that we encounter as well.

3. "What's your button?"

What is it that ignites that part of yourself that makes you love what you're doing so much, you'd do it for free? That's what you should be doing with your life -- that's where you will find success and fulfillment. Do what you love and love what you do. Harness the power of your passion. My honest to God feelings are that if your button isn't engaged on the job, a paycheck isn't enough. It may not be enough that you're good at something or you make a terrific living at it.  You deserve to love what you're doing so much that you lose sleep because the sun can't come up early enough in the morning for you to do your thing, whatever it is.

4. "Are you bold enough to go back to basics?"

This is how I test if I should really take a chance -- if it's worth it to me. If you're bold enough and resilient enough to go back to basics, you're probably ready to venture out where you've never gone before. If you are considering veering off on that road less traveled know that your energy, passion, joy, dreams, and desires will be on the line. Are you ready to take the long view, understanding that success will come and go, that you'll be down and up, flush and strapped? With the ebbing and flowing, are you prepared to be constant with your own persistence?  If so, go for it.

Mr. Christopher Gardner can be contacted at:

Media:

Start Where You Are (YouTube)