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What is Happiness

I read an article a while back. This was before the Bill and Melinda Gates scandal took place in the public light, but the article was about the things that make Bill Gates happy. They aren’t what you think they are, and when I saw that many of the same things are what is driving me, I gain confidence in the direction I am going. I am walking in the same direction as people greater than I am, and I am learning this on my own. I may not be where I want to be in life, but I know I am going in the right direction. Here’s the list of Those things.


1. Keep your Commitments

This was kind of weird at first to think as a key to happiness, but I did recognize that I do work really hard to not make promises I cannot keep. If I say I am going to do something, I do it. It is really important to me that I keep my word, and maintain my values. The one time I sacrificed my values to accomplish a goal was one of the most punishing decisions I’ve ever made. It has helped me figure out how to be specific enough in the commitments I make, that I know for a fact I can follow through. I don’t want to let myself down, and I don’t want to let the other parties down. When those commitments are accomplished in the ways that I wanted them to, I get a strong feeling of satisfaction. It helps with happiness.


2. Think About Giving Back

This one is a no brainer for me. I work really hard to be of service to others in ways I enjoy. The past few years have helped me really learn to cook. My current work situation has me living at my bosses house, and I am the primary cook. I am getting really good at hosting. I feel really good when people compliment the food I make. In terms of giving back on a grand scale though, the way I want to give back most is by helping the indigenous people get as much land back for their life and culture as possible. I have been lucky enough to be asked to the Hawaiian islands to help with a wellness project, and really learning the kinds of exploitation that is going on, coupled with learning about how Hawaii was effectively stolen by the US helped me figure out that the indigenous cultures of our country really deserve as much help preserving given the current situation, as we can give. Being on the island is making me a better person in so many ways. I owe it to this place.


3. Treat Your Body as a Temple

This is another no brainer, but I also remember a time when I didn’t take care of myself, and its hard understanding that your body operates differently with the better care you give it. It even changes the ways you think. It’s also kind of hard because you can’t pile on too much too fast otherwise you’ll relapse and quite possibly set yourself back further than you were. I also know for myself these changes actually take a foothold when I absolutely need the effect to happen. It’s why it takes time to get back on track. If I had the ability to look 10 years into the future when I started, I would be so much further ahead than I am now. It did though, take me about 10 years to fully change my life for the positive. If you give yourself around that amount of time to reach goals worthy of saying you are living a different life than you would have had you not decided to grow, you’ll be happy you make that choice. It all centers around treating your body like a temple, or a really nice car. It needs to be taken care of, but its also made to have fun. So, there may be times that it has to go to the shop for repair from accidents.


4. Make Time for Family and Friends

Again, this was a no brainer for me. My loved ones are the reasons why I am working so hard to go where I am going to go. I want to be able to contribute to their happiness in meaningful ways. I want to be able to have everyone around when possible. To be able to have a house full of the people I love would be my ideal Friday night. In real life though, my best friends and I work really hard to get together once a year for Veterans Day week. It’s the most important week of the year for me. There’s no place I want to be more, even if I don’t want to be where we are.



Life is an intricate dance of priorities, decisions, and values. Each of us finds inspiration in various places, and for me, it was enlightening to discover that the things that drive someone as accomplished as Bill Gates are the very principles that resonate with my journey. Keeping promises, giving back, valuing one's health, and cherishing loved ones are not groundbreaking revelations. Yet, their profound impact on one's well-being cannot be understated. While every individual's path is unique, these foundational pillars seem universal in guiding us towards a fulfilling life. Embracing and integrating them into our daily lives might just be the compass we need, directing us toward both contentment and success.







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