Taking back control

Day 203 / 366

When I was young, I thought that happiness was a byproduct of success. In order to be happy, you need to succeed. You need to get better grades, make more money, and get promoted. It was later that I realized that happiness is not so much about success as it is about having control.

You could be making millions, but if you don’t like the job and you do not have the freedom to do what you want, would you really be happy? The same goes for students. Who would be happier, a child scoring 90% but under constant pressure from his parents to perform better, or his friend who scores 80% but is not pressured about his grades?

This is why, throughout my career, I’ve made choices that might not look the best on paper but are the right choices for me because they let me regain some control over my life. The biggest decision was to start my own business two years ago in probably the worst market in software. And yet, I am happy because at least I don’t have anyone above me calling the shots.

In the end, true happiness comes from within and depends heavily on the freedom to make our own choices. While success can bring temporary satisfaction, in the long run, happiness comes from control.