The answer to fulfilment and happiness at work is forming deep connections with others.

  • Have you ever woken up and wondered how you can change the world?
  • How will your life help to change and inspire those around you?

One man did just that….His name is Jake Ducey.

Not Your ‘Typical’ Entrepreneur

Tired of learning and reading inspirational books. He decided to travel the world to actually ‘live an inspired life’ rather than reading about it. He focused on discovering solutions to world problems. A typical entrepreneur one might say…

The word ‘typical’ is certainly not a word I would use to describe Ducey. He has a way with words that inspires one to take action, helps one feel a sense of freedom and offers thought provoking messages beautifully packaged with love.

As a young man at college, Ducey believed his path was set; a basketball superstar studying economics. However, there was something that just didn’t feel right with this picture.

Taking the few thousand dollars he had saved, he went backpacking and wrote his first book: ‘Into The Wind: My Six Month Journey Wandering The World For Life’s Purpose’.  

Profit From Happiness

Today, Ducey is an inspirational speaker and author. His latest book is titled: ‘Profit From Happiness’ which discusses how income, happiness and productivity are interconnected.

The idea came from visiting corporate organizations only to realize that their most valuable performer was also the most dysfunctional which created havoc in the workplace.

As Gallop studies reveal there is a disparity between the number of engaged vs disengaged employees:

  • Engaged: 31.5%
  • Not engaged: 51%
  • Actively disengaged: 17.5%

The yearly cost of disengagement is estimated between $450 to 550 billion, with substantial productivity hits by way of disempowerment, disconnection and a dislike for management.

Ducey explains the following six unconventional methods create more fulfillment, connectedness, and happiness in the workplace which increases profits.

1. Give What You Want To Get

Justine Musk explains the real reason for her ex-husband’s Elon Musk’s success on a forum:

He focused on the value he could deliver not the money. 

2. Share A Smile

 A smile has the ability to immediately light up the atmosphere. It can start a conversation, a partnership or a romance, and generates positive feelings.

3. Step Outside Ourselves

Our ability to step outside of ourselves offers new perspectives that can help us to form more meaningful relationships.

4. Lending An Ear

Ducey met the famous speaker – Marion Edelman Wright, who was Martin Luther King Jr.’s Lawyer. The secret to his success?

Martin Luther King Jr knew the cornerstone to the way we live is listening. 

His ability to listen was how he was able to connect with others, enrolling them in a bigger vision for themselves and a meaningful collective vision.

5. Staying Open And Vulnerable

Being vulnerable can be challenging. To be vulnerable is to accept who you are and communicate in an open, honest way.

6. Not Taking Things Personally 

If you take things personally, it means you are allowing someone else to have power over you. Understand that what other people say and do is beyond your control.

Time For A Change

At a Fortune 500 company, Ducey met a highly productive leader whose success came at a high cost. Family and work relationships suffered due to his disengagement and isolation.

As Ducey spoke about these unconventional methods, something shifted within the leader. He finally realized how his behavior was impacting others.

A few weeks later, Ducey received a thank you email from the leader for he was able to develop more meaningful relationships with his children, team and colleagues.

Action Steps

There are two simple steps you can take to increase your levels of income, happiness and productivity.

1. Determine Your Value

Take control of your situation and accept personal responsibility for where you are in your life right now.

Write down your financial goal for the day, year or month i.e $555k, $11 million or $111 billion.

Next, write down the ways you can provide the same value as a person who already earns that level of income.

Service is the cause = Income is the effect

You increase your level of fulfillment when you increase your value as a human being.

2. Smile Big 

Five minutes before a sales call, an interview, or giving a key note speech, smile big.

Smiling generates positivity and is highly contagious.

Where to from here?

Think about how you can truly add more value in the workplace, with your family, friends and community.

Secondly, put down the phone, forget connecting on Facebook for a while.

Take a technology break and start developing ‘real’ relationships with everyone you meet from the stranger on the street, the homeless man, your child, partner and members of your team.

You can start by modeling Martin Luther King Jr, ‘start intentionally listening’.

 

 

This article was first published in Inc.com