Comments on: Soulful Work Is About A Revolution

By: Chris Bailey

Chris Bailey — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 22:01:56 +0000

Marcy, welcome and thanks for the comment. I agree with you and as I mention throughout the post, being busy does not equate with happiness. Living amongst the hustle and bustle of Washington, DC, I see folks in my community constantly hurrying to their next destination. One look in their eyes and you know most of the time that they’re tired and not exactly excited about where they’re going. Hell, most of the time, I imagine that they’re not really sure why they’re going there in the first place.

By: marcy goldman

marcy goldman — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 03:05:56 +0000

i like this blog -but I don’t agree that busy people are happy people. There is a real difference between being ‘busy’ and coincidentally successful and being…’engaged’ in what we do in a meaningful, soul-resonating way. Just busy but urgent creates this psychic queasiness in me; mindfully engaged on the right track in whatever my endeavour, is a nice fusion of authentic purpose or mission aligned with the behaviour or action to get it done. If people are most discontent at the peak of their earning power- then maybe the path to get there, indeed, the very goal they chose – was not a right fit to begin with. Perhaps ‘getting there’ (earning alot) is only an outer symptom of an innate lack of inner and outer fit. or maybe it’s the peggy lee song: Is that all there is?
NAH.

By: Chris Bailey

Chris Bailey — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 18:33:59 +0000

Hi Sue, thanks for the compliment at your blog.

My problem with labeling folks as “happy people” is that it tends to suggest that emotions like anger and sadness and anxiety are irrelevant for them. When the press release has to note “that happy people are capable of experiencing sadness and negative emotions in response to negative events, which is a healthy and appropriate response,” it inadvertantly defines these as peripheral to our own humanity. Can you be satisfied or fulfilled and not be happy?

I also question their definition of success. It sounds an awful lot like the idea of a classist standard professional ambition. If I understand correctly, if you’re smart, come from a good family, and workout, you’re likely a successful person. Frankly, I just don’t buy it all.

And, I’m not sure that there is a linear causal relationship between success and happiness. My preference is to define success as a result of an action. It’s feedback that we’re doing something right. Yet, consider how long it took Edison to refine the lightbulb or Lincoln to become President. Whether either man was happy (and there’s evidence to show that Lincoln was severely depressed throughout much of his life) was less important than the amount of determination each had toward their overall vision of life.

With all of that said, it is an interesting discussion, eh?

By: Face2Face Meetingsnet

Face2Face Meetingsnet — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 17:36:36 +0000

C’mon, get happyor not?

I always thought that being successful could make you happy, but now it appears, according to a study from the American Psychological Association, it’s really the other way around:

From a review of 225 studies in the current issue of Psychological B…

By: Sue Pelletier

Sue Pelletier — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 17:33:21 +0000

I think you might find this new study published by the American Psychological Association interesting:

http://www.apa.org/releases/success1205.html

It says, basically, that happiness leads to success, not the other way around. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.

By: Garth

Garth — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 23:28:37 +0000

Hey Christopher,

Been ages since I’ve posted – my apologies! I trust things are going well for you and you are not too busy?! Loved the rant and would comment more but unfortunately I am in the midst of marking – tis’ the season!

Glad to see that your Steelers beat the the Vikings although I heard it was a sloppy game. My Packers remain pitiful standings wise but we’ll chalk it up to a building year with plenty of rookies stepping up the plate. Ironically Favre remains in the top five QBs. My B-team the Seahawks are playing phenomenal and it turns out – I get to see my two favorite teams play down in Lambeau Field on Jan. 1st – can you say Happy New Year!

Later man!