Key Messages
Uncovering The Algebra Of Happiness: Balancing Trade-Offs, Building Traits And Discovering True Wealth
The Algebra of Happiness teaches readers how to balance the variables of happiness in order to achieve a life that is both meaningful and successful.
Just like equations in math, our lives involve many unknowns, or “variables” that contribute to our overall happiness.
These variables include job satisfaction, relationships and financial success.
But learning how to balance these variables isn’t always easy.
That’s why The Algebra of Happiness explores the challenge of human existence by looking at how you can find the optimum combination of these factors for maximum happiness.
From exploring the trade-offs between current and future happiness, to uncovering the true meaning of the word “rich”, this book gives readers essential insights into understanding what it takes to achieve a happy life.
The Algebra Of Happiness: Recognizing And Making Trade-Offs Between Young Adulthood And Later Life
It’s an inescapable fact – there’s a give-and-take relationship between the work-life balance of your young adulthood and later adulthood.
What you’ll gain during one period will likely come at a cost of the other, and so it’s important that when making decisions about how to best spend your time, you understand the tradeoff that you’re making.
In order to achieve professional success or financial security in young adulthood, it is often necessary to invest greater time and energy into those pursuits than into other areas of life.
As author Paul Bragg points out in his book The Algebra of Happiness, this could lead to feeling like you’re sacrificing your twenties for career goals.
On the flip side, if you take a more relaxed approach with your young adult life, then it could come with a shift towards greater financial insecurity in later years as you try to catch up on what has been lost while others have advanced further in their careers (assuming they’ve remained prolific).
There is no universal solution here though – the choice is ultimately yours.
But before deciding which path to take, recognize that each comes bundled with its own advantages and disadvantages.
Sacrificing Personal Life For Professional Success May Leave You Dying Alone At Your Deathbed
Sacrificing your personal life to achieve professional success can come at a significant cost.
Sure, putting the relationships with your friends and family on the back burner to focus on work might seem like a good idea at first.
But it is important to consider that these are not investments that you can just put off until retirement.
Studies have shown that the amount of time and energy you invest in your relationships now has direct implications for how much happiness these relationships will bring you later in life.
If all your time is dedicated to work, leaving no room for connecting with your loved ones, that could very well lead to an empty deathbed with only doctors and nurses around when the time comes.
On the other hand, if you have been investing time and energy into loving bonds with family and friends throughout life, this self-giving behavior results in stead-flowing joy from those same relationships over time which carries far beyond simple talking about work or shared memories of adventure.
When looking down this road, one could see many familiar faces at their final moments surrounded by love and warmth – something that cannot be overstated enough when it comes to rewards in life.
So ask yourself: if I continue along my present path, who would be there at my deathbed? That question serves as a powerful reminder of how we must evaluate our current quality of life; without the meaningful connections forged through family and friendships, our lives can lack both happiness and meaning which makes it more than worth investing our time and energy into them now before it’s too late.
The True Source Of Happiness Is Found In Family And Quality Time Together
The Algebra of Happiness teaches us that while money can contribute to making us happier, it is not the primary source of our happiness.
Enjoyable activities, experiences and quality time spent with our friends and family are ultimately what really brings joy into our lives.
Special experiences and hobbies that we invest in are sure to bring moments of pleasure but nothing beats spending quality time with those who matter most.
Even if money can help us access or procure the equipment needed to enjoy certain activities, it is still the act of actually doing them that brings out real satisfaction.
Likewise, attaining financial stability and security also doesn’t equate to pure bliss; rather, these material things allow us to divert more focus towards pursuing meaningful aspects of life like forming a monogamous relationship and creating a family with loved ones.
It is through raising children whilst devotedly nurturing the spouse-to-spouse relationship that the author believe lies the answer to eternal happiness.
Ultimately, investments made into professional success acts as a foundation for familial life where one can fully experience pure joy shared by his/her loved ones.
The Path To Financial Security Begins With An In-Demand Degree And A Supercity Location
If you want to achieve financial security in your early adulthood, you’ll need to combine the right credentials with a great location.
That means having an in-demand degree such as one in a field like tax law, insurance or iron extraction – fields that may not seem glamorous but can still be lucrative.
And you’ll also need to live in a ‘supercity’ like London or New York – places where economic growth is strongest and most career opportunities abound.
You may be tempted to avoid these traditional paths and dive straight into entrepreneurship, but it still pays to do your research when picking the right degree and location.
Remember that most successful people don’t necessarily get their dream job, but rather carve out successful careers for themselves by leveraging their skills and knowledge in unromantic but high-paying industries.
So equip yourself with the right degree and head off to the best city for your chosen career – because time is of the essence.
If you want to reach financial security sooner rather than later, then being equipped with both these qualifications is essential!
The Forgotten Traits Of Being A Good Entrepreneur And Employee
As you think about which path to take in life, consider the traits of both a successful employee and those of an entrepreneur.
When it comes to being an employee, dependability, civility and emotional security are critical traits that you need to possess.
Dependability means arriving to work on time and listening attentively during meetings.
Civility means being diplomatic when it comes to giving feedback, showing respect for colleagues as equals within a team dynamic.
And lastly, emotional security means being able to remain calm in the face of unknowns in your job role.
For entrepreneurs, there are two key traits that don’t tend get much attention: being willing to pay out of pocket for work and using your resources to sell potential investors on funding the company’s bankroll or potential customers when pitching services or products.
Both require an individual with great tenacity and vision who is willing to put their own resources at risk.
When deciding between a career as an employee or entrepreneur, carefully consider these traits against your own skillset before making a decision.
What kind of person do you want to be? What are you willing (and not willing) to commit yourself towards? Taking into account all the risks involved in each path can help make this decision easier.
The Key To Financial Stability: Diversify Your Assets For Passive Income
Making financial security a reality requires redefining your idea of the term “rich.” Wealth isn’t exclusively about having large sums of money; it’s about having a comparatively high passive income coupled with low expenditures.
Passive income is revenue that comes in without you actively launching projects or taking up opportunities.
This could be equity from property or stock investments, as opposed to money gained from working a 9-5 job where you’re more likely to adjust your spending according to what you earn.
If you want to make sure your future is financially secure, consider putting aside some of your income via retirement plans or stock options provided by companies where you work.
To effectively continue gaining passive incomes and protect yourself against unpleasant market fluctuations, diversify your assets into multiple asset classes such as real estate and stocks.
When managing said assets at 40 years old, put no more than 15 percent into any one sector; if you’re under 40, limit this figure to 33 percent!
By all means save and invest, then, relax and enjoy the golden years ahead!
Less Work And More Fun: Stepping Back To Enjoy The Benefits Of Your Hard Work
It’s not enough to just make a lot of money when it comes to enjoying financial security; you’ll also have to shift away from focusing on your job and career at some point.
Of course, this might be easier said than done – after all, if you’ve put in the time and effort to get to the top of your game, it can be tough to step back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
But it is possible.
Take David Carey for example; he was at the peak of his career in publishing when he decided in 2018 that he wanted to quit his role as president of Hearst Magazines.
When asked why, Carey’s answer was simple: “I want to help young people, and I’m sick of firing my friends”.
He knew that getting out would eventually lead him toward new opportunities that he wouldn’t otherwise experience if he stayed focused on work alone.
The Algebra of Happiness reminds us that while it takes hard work to get what we want financially, we cannot forget why we worked so hard in the first place – which is ultimately to be able to do the things we love with our friends and family.
If you find yourself in a similar position like David where you’re finally ready to take a breath away from all those years at work, remember what brought you here: The goal was never just making money but also finding joy and happiness with all that hard work!
How To Find And Maintain A Good Life Partner For Creating A Family And Lasting Happiness
If you want to achieve a happy family life, it’s essential that you find a compatible life partner.
This means taking the time to evaluate potential partners before committing, looking at things such as religious views, desired number of kids and parenting styles.
Compatibility is key here if you don’t want issues cropping up in the future.
Once found, it’s important to keep your relationship strong and happy by not keeping score.
This means forgiving mistakes made and being generous for the sake of generosity – not because someone is expecting something in return.
Applying this same mindset towards other people in your life can also be beneficial by creating genuine connections with them.
Generosity isn’t just about sacrifice but more so about feeling secure enough to give yourself to others.
Wrap Up
“The Algebra of Happiness” by author Jordon Boyd-Graber provides an in-depth look at how to achieve true and lasting happiness.
The key message is that the solution to the problem of happiness is pretty simple: do the activities you enjoy doing and spend time with the people you love.
However, achieving this requires making a trade-off between early adulthood work-life balance and later adulthood work-life balance and making wise decisions with career and finances.
Boyd-Graber advises readers to determine their own metrics by looking at measurable indicators of personal success such as net worth, credit score, and number of years spent helping people which can help provide a larger understanding of what makes for a meaningful life.
Overall, “The Algebra of Happiness” provides valuable advice on striving for longterm happiness and satisfaction through small tweaks in everyday lifestyle.
