I’ve been thinking a lot lately about success, greatness, and how happiness fits in that spectrum. I look around and I see a lot of people chasing money, followers, their brand — which are all great things — but when we wrap our entire identity and desires around those things, we end up feeling unfulfilled.
Money and fame can both become harmful obsessions, especially when we tie our happiness to those things. It becomes a recipe for unhappiness, depression, and anxiety.
But when we tie our happiness to something bigger than ourselves — the community around us, making positive change, inspiring the world, learning new things — we’re able to find more joy than money could ever provide.
I want to share a quick story with you all. I was driving up the coast of California with my girlfriend, and we stopped by the Golden Gate Bridge. We had this amazing 4-day experience, connecting and diving deeper into our relationship, and it was such a joyful time. It reminded me of how much intimacy and connection is a central part of happiness.
We drove back down through the state, and when we pull into our building, I notice something different. There were police cars in the parking lot, and yellow tape was blocking the entrance into our highrise condo. There was a white tent in the parking lot, and immediately I knew something was wrong.
