Contents
Step 40: “Do not invest only in what helps to add, do it also in what does not subtract”
The 88 rungs of happy people
In this chapter of «The 88 steps of happy people» I explain the two types of happiness that there are, and what each one brings you
In general, people usually consider that different areas of our life give us more or less happiness, and that this happiness is of the same type for all areas, but it really is not like that. There is no single type of happinessbut two. One of the types is the one who has the power to give you happiness and the other is the one who has the power not to take it away. The interesting thing is that they cannot be crossed. What has the power to not take away happiness does not have the power to give it to you and vice versa.
Quiet. It may have been difficult for you to understand that last sentence, but I am going to use a simile that explains it very clearly. It is the simile of the land and the house. When you want to build your own home to live in, you always need two elements: the site, that is, the land; and the building, that is, the house. The land does not have the power to give you a home to live in, since you cannot live on land, but nevertheless, it does have the power to leave you homeless, since without land, there is no house. On the other hand, if you have the plans, the money and the materials to build the most beautiful house in the world but there is no land on which to build it, it will be a great shame, but … the most beautiful house in the world will never be a reality.
How does this translate to real life? Pay attention because it is a very interesting concept. If we take the area of health, many people habitually say that “health is the most important thing in life”, and it seems that it is the area with the greatest capacity to make us happy. But health has no power to generate happiness. Why do they say it then? (Here comes the important thing.) Because it does have the power not to take it from you. When you are in good health, you are not happier, but when you are not, you are less so. Health is… a terrain. Just as where there is no land there is no house, where there is no health there can be no happiness. «And a project that I am passionate about? Is it land or is it a house? It is home, since it has the power to add enormous doses of happiness and fulfillment to your life (your edification), but if, and only if, you have all the areas that represent the terrain well tied beforehand.
The house focuses on the maximums, but the terrain gives you the minimums, and only the guarantee of the minimums allows you to reach the maximums. The minimums do not have the power to add (happiness, house, construction), but they do have the power not to subtract. What about family, money or a job? As long as what they bring you is minimal, they will be your land, and when you generate something of great value with them, they will be your home. If the relationship with your family is simply neutral, neither good nor bad, and one of your relatives dies, you would be very unhappy, but, nevertheless, every day that he does not die you are not happier (ground). If, on the contrary, you make unforgettable evenings and magical trips with them, with each one you are increasing your level of happiness a little, since you not only have Land, but you also build houses.
What are the three applications of this formula to your life? If you focus on getting maximums (house) and your minimums are neglected (land), those maximums will disappear just as your house would disappear the day the lot was expropriated. Focusing only on minimums but not building anything else would be like acquiring the land and never building your house. This is equivalent to having a life of mediocrity, in which you do not suffer, but you do not prosper either. And finally, the formula for success … This consists of making sure you never neglect your terrain, that is, all the areas that, although they do not have the power to give you happiness, do have the power to take it away – health, emotional stability, relationships. personal, work, peace of mind, a minimum of money – but then build something on those foundations, that is, your house. And do you know which are the most beautiful houses? Those that are built with a single word in mind: meaning.
Once you have your life in order – what constitutes your terrain, that is, the minimums – do your best to add to your life as many areas that provide the greatest amounts of meaning – that is … your maximums.
# 88StepsPeopleHappy
Don’t just invest in what helps you add up. Also invest in what helps you not to subtract.
@Angel