Live Happy CEO Kym Yancey had an eye-opening morning phone call with Hyrum W. Smith, former CEO and cofounder of Franklin Covey. Here is a brief recap of their talk:
Tell us about the mantra you live by.
I believe that I’m here on the planet to make a difference. I wake up every morning thinking, I need to make change, I can teach people to get better control of our lives. Another mainstay is that I’ve always believed financial success follows as a result of other kinds of success, and should not be the primary goal.
Is there a secret formula for living a happy life?
Pain is inevitable, misery is optional. Tattoo that somewhere on your body. I discovered the power of that in 1995, when my daughter was killed in a car accident, and my other daughter barely survived. We are not going to get through life without pain, we just aren’t. But how we choose to deal with that pain is a measure of who we are. Misery is a choice.
Is living a happy life really possible for everyone?
Yes, I do think it’s possible. It’s not easy. There are people out there with challenges that we can’t even imagine. It all comes back to the choice.
There are three basic emotions that motivate all of us: The lowest level is FEAR, or “I have to.” The second is DUTY, “I ought to.” The highest level of motivation is LOVE, doing something because “I want to.”
What is the number one thing people can do to increase happiness in their lives?
First, you have to understand what is important to you. Sit down and identify what your personal identifying values are. Write them down and write a statement relating to them; this is your personal Constitution.
The feeling of inner peace comes when what I’m doing matches my values; in other words, when there is no longer a gap between my values and the way I live my life.
How can people get past pain—past having hurt feelings?
It’s all about forgiveness. We don’t forget about things that happen, but if we decide it doesn’t matter anymore, we can move on from the pain.
