Stephanie Harrison

I argue that capitalism is one of these driving forces of old happy because...

No matter what we do, it's never enough, right?

Because in a capitalist society, in a world with intense competition, where there are so many entrants into the marketplace, where there's always something more that you need to do, you really have to push yourself more and more and more.

And it's almost like there's never a ceiling to what's enough.

Yeah, it's really simple.

I've witnessed this in my own journey.

After 10 years of research, I've basically been able to boil it down that true happiness comes from being who you are and then using it to help other people.

feeling like, oh, I just need to work a little bit harder or push a little bit more and then I'll be able to experience the success that I want because that'll make me happy.

And so this can be very translated to running your own business, of course.

And this pressure, this hamster wheel that capitalism puts us on without offering broader solutions that support people as they go through difficult times or setbacks or challenges really ends up doing a number on our mental health as those statistics so beautifully illustrate and devastatingly show.

You can think about all of the unique skills that you have, the ideas that you possess, the gifts of character and wisdom and all of these beautiful things that are within you and then find a way to express them through the work that you do.

And the more that we can do that and craft environments where people are able to tap into those two experiences, the happier we can all become.

And I think that

We really have to be mindful of reckoning with the fact that yes, we want to build businesses or achieve certain goals or outcomes, but how are we doing in this in a way that's sustainable and good for all of us in order to experience wellbeing, which is ultimately at the end of the day, what we want and why we're working to do that business because we think it'll help us to be happy in the future.

Such a great question.

I mean, it's the work of a lifetime, obviously, of course, right?

Because we're always changing and we're always interacting with the world and it's affecting us in these different ways.

But I think that usually what I like to advise is inviting people to think about who they are from a lens of strength.

rather than weakness, again, which is what we learn in old happy capitalist individualistic culture.

When you think about your self-awareness, it's all about the problems that you have and the things that you're lacking.