A great read in Harvard Business Review. To be frank, I cover much of this in my book The Business of Happiness and I believe what is stated here is appropriate and insightful.
I think you will enjoy reading this piece. Then go find your organization’s higher calling.
Here is a well written article about work place happiness; it is nice to mention my book “The Business of Happiness within, and discuss how the pursuit of happiness for people is not a fad but a new way of life and a way to stimulate productivity from an employee base. It was run today in the Chicago Tribune.”Give Happiness A Chance”.
Here is an article about Doomsday and Mayans and basic human nature in today’s Washington Post.” It’s The End Of The World As We Know It”.
Doomsday sells! Writers and Bloggers love to predict the end of the world; of the season; of the era; of a career; – of anything. Puppies and sunsets don’t sell. Human sacrifice sells. Humiliation is good- encouragement is bad. Take a look at the lists of the year – all about bad things that happened during 2011; where are the lists of good things that happened? I guess nothing good happened this past year at all!
Bring the people up to the hill; await the end of the world; if the end doesn’t come – just say – “Yeah– just wait– I had some facts misconstrued- the end will come on this date”. No blood – no foul. “I am unhappy -I shall snarl; and bring you down with me”. And get you to subscribe for another year.
2012 – my advice – try to be happy – happier than you were in 2011; don’t listen to unhappy dooms day predictors – in any field; about anything; it is just a job and career pursuit to sell you something; to generate pages; a cheap trick to get you to click; always consider the source. Really? Mayan hieroglyphics? Part time bloggers rumor mongering?
It may be the end of the world but some people really do feel fine.
Happy New Year – I hope you have a 2012 that is filled with love and with joy and with meeting aspirations and hope and health and upside.
I predict the world won’t end in 2012.
I believe we can be happy.
You heard it here first, on my blog. Click away. And thank you.
I was concerned that I would have nothing to do – I was terrified of leaving the company that employed me for almost 14 years.
In that 5 years since I retired from AOL I have:
Acquired the Washington Wizards and Verizon Center; and spent more time with the Washington Capitals and Washington Mystics;
Made 3 films; “Nanking”;” Kicking It”; and ” A Fighting Chance”; I am working on a 4th film now too;
Founded SnagFilms; and acquired indieWIRE;
Helped to start Revolution Money- served as its chairman; sold the company to American Express; now I serve on board of directors of American Express;
Authored a book – “The Business of Happiness”;
Invested in and became Chairman of Clearspring Technologies; still serve on their board;
Invested in and serve on board and as Vice Chairman of Groupon; the company went public last month; it has a $14 billion market cap;
Made 15 angel investments in some great start ups; all told; these startups and the companies that we sold have a combined value approaching a billion dollars;
Became a partner in Revolution Growth Fund 2 – a $ 450 million ” speed up capital” fund ; focused on East Coast startups; partnered with Steve Case and Donn Davis on this NEW fund;
Bought a house – sold 2 houses;
Worked with more than 400 charities via my Family Foundation; and Monumental Sports and Entertainment Foundations and SnagFilms;
Serve on the board of directors of Georgetown University.
It has been a nonstop hectic 5 years – some of the best and most productive and enjoyable years of my career and life.
Retirement from a corporate career is nothing to be afraid of. Onward. Thank you.
“burning down the house”
You know I love Talking Heads. My favorite band for a long time.
I opened my book with a quote from the great David Byrne.
See our Cap’s opener here – help us to burn down the house. Thanks. Go Caps!
On happiness and my speech at Inc. 500 conference. Thank you.
As noted in my book, “The Business of Happiness”; I make lists. I check the things to do off the list. I make progress – I take action – I lean in. I break things to do into small incremental steps. I go forward.
I am 82 out of 101 things to do in life! I believe in this stuff….
Here is a cool new web site and app to help you do your own list. Take your first steps – make methodology out of chaos and being random; a productivity aid – a happiness finder. A things to do now maker. A how to aid in organizing activity.
Very well done.
I wish I had created this one. Check it out. I bet this one becomes a hit.
Thanks for the nice words and the positive review; most appreciated. Thank you.
As I noted in my book, “The Business of Happiness” tuning up your levels of personal empathy is a sure fire way to find increased levels of happiness. And self actualize. Companies that are empathetic tend to be more successful than those that aren’t.
And according to this NY Times article the opposite is true. People who lack empathy are “evil”.
Read this one please. Very important societal implications here. Take a look within. Do you like what you see? Feel? Empathy. The least understood human emotion.
I finished reading Does The Noise in My Head Bother You?, an autobiography by Steven Tyler. I think he writes like he talks and thinks with streams of tweets and scat melodies. He is funny. He has a pretty good memory for a self-professed drug abuser. The book was a fun read. There were a few wonderfully funny moments and quotes within the book. I bought the book for 30% off at Barnes and Noble in a remainder bin here in Tysons. I am sad to say that my book The Business of Happiness was also at 30% off and was in the same remainder bin! I am serious.
When I lived in Boston right out of college I would go see Aerosmith in concert. They were a hard working band and played college campuses, bar halls, clubs and arenas. I have to admit it was hard to take your eyes off of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry back then. They were a uniquely derivative band that are survivors and have had three distinct careers.
Here is the summary of the book. 
He was born in the 1940′s.
He was born into a musical family.
He loved his parents.
He played in cover bands.
He can do a cockney accent and people thought he was Mick Jagger. This talent was used wisely. He admired Janis Joplin. He went to Woodstock as a fan. He loved Jimmy Hendrix, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. Girls love him back.
He sings and writes songs. Here are the lyrics. He includes lyrics to his songs because he thinks fans can’t hear him sing because Joe Perry plays his guitar too loud.
He met Joe Perry. They formed a band. He loves Joe Perry – he hates Joe Perry. Lake Sunapee is a fun place in New Hampshire. He now lives in LA. He also lived in NYC and Boston. But mostly he is on a bus or plane touring.
Aerosmith is an American band with fashion style. Let us tour. Let us sell records. Let us debauch.
We formed a band. It was loud.
The band got big.
I sang a lot. My feet hurt. I go to rehab a lot.
I met a lot of girls; and then woman. I mean a lot of girls and woman. A lot. No – I mean a lot.
I did a lot of drugs. I mean a lot of drugs. Even more drugs than woman.
I had many children. I love them.
I ache – my vocal chords; my back; and my feet.
Rock star work is hard work.
It is physical labor.
My band mates and I fight a lot. We have LSD – lead singer dysfunction.
I took too many prescription drugs.
I go to rehab. Again. And again. We all go to rehab.
I am now a judge on American Idol.
I have survived.
Dream On. Walk This Way.
Thank you.
OnMilwaukee.com. Thank you very much! Click here and see. Thank you.