10% Happier Instead of 10X Growth

I'll admit it.  I am a dreamer and I often make lofty goals and set idealistic expectations that are likely out of reach. In my mind I gravitate toward huge success stories of self-made billionaires. I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

There is a whole industry of people who are building wealth by promoting products and services that cater to that same desire - to catapult someone from obscurity to legendary status. Ploys to develop mastery, to be a high performer, to 10x your growth or to max out your life are plentiful. I, too, have consumed content from many of these people and programs as well. This is in no way a condemnation of them or anyone's desire for success, because I believe their intent is good.

However, even among many of these people, they will share bits of things that have actually improved the quality of their lives the most, and by and large they don't involve the massive accumulation of wealth.  Usually they have to do with things like service, faith, connection, meditative or contemplative practices and other contributing lifestyle enhancements. I have become someone who now looks for patterns and similarities in messages, sort of decoding things through these perceptions and identifying repeat melodies even among otherwise very different songs.

What I have found is that the chasing of that big jump - in anything - is very rarely what actually works. Rather, it is an accumulation of incremental changes or improvements that surmount to those sought-after ideals in life.