What drives you? The present or the future? What you lack or what you could become? Envy or ambition? Pain or pleasure?
Friday I read a blog post with the premise that innovation and success require first being unhappy or dissatisfied. I had a similar conversation with a friend this weekend.
Now I won’t claim that dissatisfaction and unhappiness can’t be powerful drivers for change. But a requirement for change? I disagree.
Change, action, innovation, success, whatever you call it, can be driven by emptiness or fulfillment. By moving away from the past or by moving toward the future. It can be a push away from unhappiness or a pull toward mastery and perfection.
I, for one, am driven by ambition and accomplishment. Not by being unhappy with where I am, but with being in love with the journey, with a desire to move forward even after my needs have been satisfied.
Yes, I’m sometimes driven by being dissatisfied. But it’s an exception. What inspires me day-to-day is a drive to go further, a pull toward the future.
Life does not have to be driven by emptiness, dissatisfaction or unhappiness. It can be driven by dreams, ambition and happiness. Happiness can be used to create more happiness. Success to create more success.
In fact, the research is clear: happiness improves productivity and creativity.
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