As you graduate, you are being given the opportunity to pursue several careers and with that opportunity, you might opt to chase a career that guarantees wealth and success. However, following your passion and happiness is the true key to success.
Happiness refers to seeking personal fulfillment and joy in a career, while success refers to careers that place a focus on wealth, a high status and achievement. Some individuals aim to chase a career or opportunities throughout their lives that prioritize wealth, believing it brings them happiness. Yet, the opposite is true: happiness brings success.
“I would chase success over happiness since I believe it will provide more opportunities to act upon my wants and needs thus helping me be happy, such as exploring the world, driving super fun cars, going to exclusive events, etc,” junior Dinmukhammed Toleubay said.
Surveys show that students choose majors or career paths with money in mind. According to a study conducted by Grand Canyon University, 65 percent of Americans have changed jobs that were different from their college majors with a higher income being the most common motive.
“I love music and playing my beautiful instruments,” Senior Angelina Cordero said. “I wish I could do music but I think studying in STEM would make me happier because of the income, which is something that will benefit me long term, more than music, bringing me more happiness.”
While financial success can provide experiences like driving cars and exploring the world, those aspirations can be short lived, whereas joy and natural excitement can create lasting self-fulfillment.
Obsessing over success can also lead to burnout and dissatisfaction in relatively successful outcomes. Regardless of what one achieves, there will always be something “better” which would only lead to a cycle of pursuing more achievements, more wealth or a higher status. These external factors can lead individuals towards regretful outcomes.
“I actually did not major in art because my parents didn’t support that idea. They wanted me to be a doctor but art was always my passion,” Art teacher Crystal Garcia said. “I just took the really long way around to end up where I wanted to be and I’m happy here because I get to do art all day and spread the joy of art with my students.”
On the other side, happiness is something that can fulfill a person, regardless of achievement or material possessions while also providing one with physical and mental well-being. Those who chase what they love are intrinsically motivated to pursue a passion or goal, creating success through their enthusiasm and commitment.
“I majored in biological oceanography because of interest. I never really cared about what I was gonna make,” STEM teacher Lolithia Otero said. “I’ve always loved science. I find it fascinating. Every day I get to come in here and I get to talk about things that are truly amazing, so I have a good time when I’m here.”
A review of many studies published in the “Psychological Bulletin,” suggests that happy people experience positive moods that help them work actively towards new goals and possess past skills that they built during those pleasant moods. The review also concludes that happy individuals are more likely to have fulfilling marriages and relationships, high incomes and superior work performance.
At the end of the day though, regardless of the path you take, happiness is important. Happiness is linked to good mental and physical health, alongside success, so it’s important to find time to do the things that make you happy.
Many studies have shown that happiness can be found in individuals that maintain strong friendships, give and donate to others, connect with family, explore interests and hobbies and pay others to do things they don’t enjoy, giving them more time.
“A job is just that, a job,” Otero said. “Whether it’s big money, little money, fulfilling, unfulfilling, there has to be things outside that make you happy. Money and success is wonderful and allows you to live a comfortable life, but you gotta find joy in other things.