Success and Happiness - Mutually exclusive, or interdependant?

It is one of the most spoken about issues in the modern era, more so in a fast growing economy like India. The results are there for everyone to see. Privatization has ushered in a new era of professionalism in the hearts of young India. The desire to succeed and fulfill their dreams is there for all the world to see.

But, why is it that we keep on hearing about subjects work-life balance which has led to the emergence new topics like stress management, various lifestyle diseases, relationship problems, emotional imbalances, job satisfaction etc. Not a day passes by without reading on the above mentioned subjects. That brings one to the question, especially for young Indians - are they not capable of handling success? Did we define it wrongly? Do we think it as being unidimensional?

According to Rita Donaghy Chairman of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), an organization devoted to preventing and resolving employment disputes, work-life balance has come into focus because of three factors - the changing patterns of working, and attrition, which has forced many companies to redesign their work culture. Another factor could be the fact of emerging lifestyle diseases. That brings up another question, was it the unidimensionality of success in our eyes that has created work-life balance as a social issue, only to act as a bandage and not a cure to change the way we look at success in life?

Now consider this - Why do we work?

1. Mental/Emotional satisfaction

2. Keeping the brain in top shape

3. Monetary benefits - Ability to support ourselves and our families and; materialism

4. Social status - Also includes the batchmate syndrome as well…

And how do we define personal life?

1. Mental/emotional satisfaction - Which includes happiness, relaxation, enjoyment etc

2. Taking care of our health

3. Spiritual activities

Ideally, a combination of a few or a couple of these is supposed to generate what we have defined as "happiness" or "satisfaction". Satisfaction is very much measurable in terms of what your inputs and outputs are. But, happiness is a hard thing to measure. More often that not, it’s just a matter of perception. It’s how we talk to ourselves internally and not be affected by external factors.

More often than not, our struggles are a result of us demanding more from others, from success and from ourselves. It is up to us to define and prioritize factors which we think will make us satisfied and may be, just may be, happy in the process. Ultimately, when we lie on that bed in our final moments, no one but us should be in a position to answer all questions that rush through our minds at that point of time. That’s the real test of success.

Dipankar Mohanty