“The ancient Greek definition of happiness was the full use of your powers along lines of excellence.” – John F Kennedy

The ancient Greeks were a bunch of pretty smart people. They left behind a legacy in art, science, and philosophy. In fact, it has been said that modern philosophy is little more than a footnote to Greek philosophy. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise to find a lot of wisdom in this statement.

I think what the Greeks were really trying to say is that to be happy you must use whatever talents you possess. But more than that, you must not only use those talents but use them wisely and well.

It is amazing to me that this concept has been around for centuries and how even today how few people actually follow this simple piece of advice. Instead, I see people who pursue a job or a career that they think will provide them with a good income. The income does not mean much if you have to spend forty or fifty hours a week being miserable. Those forty hours a week will first turn into a career and then a lifetime of misery.

I have seen people who really enjoy their work; they do it because they love it. They are happy. They enjoy doing the work, and learning more about it. These happy people use their enthusiasm to improve themselves, and their work, and it shows. Interestingly enough, most of these people are almost always making a very good income. They may not be rich, but they aren’t homeless and broke and most importantly they aren’t miserable either!

Sometimes, appears we have become a society that cherishes the promise of a large income over happiness. For what its worth, I hope this malady doesn’t apply to you.