The Pursuit of Happiness
by Carryn Hills
I think we all come across those moments in life where we question ourselves. Why do we do what we do, what is the meaning of it all? Do I work hard to make money so I can buy more things, things that I don’t really want or don’t really make me happy?
I am not about to begin to answer the broad scope of that but I did want to share a concept that I came across recently and that is minimalism. It’s a concept that can be adapted in strength to each of us, the principles surrounding it are ones we all know but possibly need to remind ourselves of from time to time.
You hear the term about intentional living being bandied around a lot at the moment. While it is easy to dismiss as a trend, recognising that all trends have value as a precursor to a movement, a shifting of mindset – a stirring of the people.
Joshua Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus from the Minimalists ask you to imagine:
A life with:
Less stuff
Less clutter
Less stress
Less debt
Less discontent
Fewer distractions
A life with:
More time
More meaningful relationships
More growth
More contribution
More passion
So how do we get there?
We are quick to put value to things, it’s a subconscious human trait to view everything we see and experience to have a value. We dismiss things that we see no value in and hold to high esteem those that we believe are valuable. Each of our perceptions on each item is different. The value that we place on the things that we surround ourselves with are our markers of success.
The idea of minimalism is to define those measures of success, to change your definition of wealth.
Rather than surrounding ourselves with objects and things that are pacifiers to our stress and unhappiness, take a moment to recognise what is important to you. Don’t continue to keep doing the same thing and expect different results. Instead ask yourself: Do I have a true need for this particular item? Does it add value to my life? If it doesn’t it is probably contributing to some of the negative issues that you are experiencing.
One of our greatest sense of accomplishments in life is adding value to those around us. It is a basic human instinct that is easy to forego when we get caught up in our own business. Consider contributing beyond yourself – this will add value to your life, those around you and will build a community.
It’s probably not the line you would expect from an accountant – by nature we are expected to measure wealth in monetary terms. But here at Lincolns we believe in the bigger picture, focusing on personal growth, health and passion. Being happy and passionate about what you do will have the effect of having monetary gain that follows. Let us focus on your business stress and free you up to focus on those things that are important.
At Lincolns, accounting is what we do...
This, is who we are... enjoy!
