By: Barry Siskind
Are you happy with your trade show efforts? I am not asking if you are satisfied with your results but rather if your efforts bring you satisfaction. Exhibiting takes a lot of time, requires a tremendous amount of energy and puts you under a considerable amount of pressure to perform. Exhibiting requires a herculean effort to be the best you can when you are meeting clients face-to-face. Are you happy doing what you do?
There is more to happiness than an occasional smile and a good belly laugh. We live in a culture that continually bombards us with the promise of instant happiness. If we drink the right beer, take the right pill, drive the right car, or land a new account, happiness can be ours. Yet, how many of us are truly happy?
Many people have grown cynical and see no reason to be happy. They may be in a bad relationship, disappointed with the cards that life has dealt them, concerned about the environment, or unhappy with their political leaders … the list is endless.
Then there are those who grumble that they feel stuck in a daily routine that has grown as predictable as the punch line to a bad joke. Happiness is not universal. You can be happy at work and yet remain an unhappy person. We don’t have to look far to see examples of unhappiness; it’s everywhere we turn.
Happiness makes your work more satisfying; it is the underlying element to a healthy life. Sometimes early passions form the direction of your life and work from the get-go, while, in other cases, you may need to go through a process of self-discovery to get in touch with your happiness.
Finding happiness does not mean you have to quit your job or abandon your daily routine. On the contrary, it often doesn’t require such drastic action. Often, you can find happiness by taking small steps.
According to University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener, editor of the Journal of Happiness Studies, “There is no one key to happiness, but there are several important elements.”
1. Family and Friends.
The wider and deeper the relationships you have with those around you the better. Research suggests that friendship can ward off germs. Our brain controls many of the mechanisms in our body that are responsible for disease. Just as stress can trigger ill health, it is thought that friendship and happiness can have a protective effect.
2. Marriage.
Marriage is also important. According to research, the positive effects of marriage add an average of seven years to the life of a man and four years to a woman.
3. A sense of meaning.
A belief in something bigger from religion, spirituality, or a philosophy of life can contribute to happiness.
4. Goals.
Having goals that you are working toward and that you also find enjoyable embedded in your short and long-term plans is an element of happiness.
5. Meaningful work.
Spending a third to half of your life doing something you feel good about. This means knowing that you are making a difference as well as having an opportunity to display your competencies.
What the psychologists seem to agree on is that when you do something thinking it will make you happy it seldom works. Why? Because we are very bad at predicting the future. So the trick is to lead a well balanced life and rather than pursuing happiness find ways of living happy every day.
We all know how difficult it is to find a balance when trade events interfere with your daily routine. The trick is to think about how you can continue to do what you do and at the same time mitigate the effect of everyday business pressures. You will be happy you did.
