I stumbled across a new term recently… “happytalism”, have you heard of it?
After seeing a recent Forbes article headline “‘Happytalism’: How to Inject Greater Purpose into Your Business”, I was curious…
Words are important to me. Although, after seeing this one for the first time, I’ll admit I wasn’t convinced.
The word “happytalism”, initially, seemed like more of a marketing tactic to further push the idea of the “pursuit of happiness” onto consumers, rather than a concern for genuine employee wellness. It seemed to be a play on words that actually enhanced the advertising that we’ve already been bombarded with – “you’ll only be happy once you purchase…”
But, I might have judged “happytalism” too quickly.
Essentially, “happytalism” is an economic system and socio-political philosophy that puts happiness and well-being at the center of economic development.
“Happytalism” is meant to encourage a world with less judgment and more wisdom. Inspiring greater meaning behind the work of employers, employees, and consumers alike. As the article mentions, nothing brings greater authentic happiness than a life of meaning through contribution to others.
Ultimately, the intent behind “happytalism”, is to:
- support individuals who dare to make positive social impacts;
- inspire institutions to embrace the principle of collaboration;
- embolden businesses to live their purpose.
“A purposeful life and creating wealth are not mutually exclusive strategies.”
– Ernest Ross, Forbes
Over the last few years, consumers are now thinking in terms of who they want to be, rather than what they want to have. With this shift, businesses should be following suit. Rather than evaluating what they have or what they do, businesses should start to look intrinsically to determine who they want to be.
As consumers become more purposeful with their purchases, it is imperative, now more than ever, that companies reinvent themselves as “happytalists”. But, how do we do this?
How do our businesses become one’s that our employees are proud to belong to?
How do our businesses become one’s that our consumers are proud to purchase from?
We do this by developing, understanding, and sharing our corporate purpose.
What is especially exciting is that “story”, “purpose”, and “happytalism” all go hand in hand. Purpose, for most of us, isn’t a singular thing that we happen to stumble upon one day, rather purpose is a journey of experimentation and self-discovery. Simply put, it is the process of getting to know ourselves better. So, when faced with important life decisions, we know who we are, making it easier to decide where to go from there.
Businesses, like individuals, have their own hopes, dreams, goals, etc.
And like our individual purpose, a business’s purpose is much of the same. Our business purpose helps us understand our impact and identify ways in which our work can make a difference. Purpose can also help us to stay grounded, in turn, simplifying challenging business decisions that are thrown our way.
In finding our business’s purpose, we can narrow down and understand exactly “who” our business is, allowing us to then tell our story to the world. This not only gives us a point of reflection but allows the “happytalistic” mentality to be one that can start to feel a little more tangible.
What do you think, do you “buy into” the “happytalistic” philosophy? In what ways might you embrace “happytalism” in your business?
Cheers,
Bronwen
Our last one was 2019… and wow things have changed a heap since then!
In this short survey, we will be looking to gain insight into what a PurposeBrand© means to you.
Because… what you think, means a lot to us!
And, as a thank you, we want to share with you the report we generated from our 2019 survey. All you have to do is complete the survey and it is yours!
Inside the 2019 report, you’ll find some surprising results on our respondents’ favourite purpose driven brands, their biggest business challenges, tried and true accounts of what it means to communicate their companies’ purpose, and much more!
And there is even more to this story….circle Wednesday, February 16th at noon (CST) on your calendar! That is the day we will unleash the results of the new report and talk 2022 trends for Purpose driven brands and their leaders.
I keep track of my aha moments! I know, right? That might be weird? Please, someone, tell me you do too.
It started when I decided to erase: “where did the time go” from my lexicon. Well, because I wanted to know where the time had gone, and I wanted to know what I was thinking during that time. Covid especially made me feel like we had all lost a year.
So, here is a select (because you really don’t want to know all of them) and random list of thoughts that made me say “aha”. Some were inspired by books and podcasts, while others came from conversations and personal experiences.
hello
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- Great keynote speakers, podcast hosts, authors are generous people. Generous with their ideas, hearts, souls, and stories.
- Creativity is not an escape but the truest form of ourselves.
- How purpose-driven leaders are changing the world for the better shakes my world in the best possible way.
- Grieving for the loss of the children of the residential schools hurts. Learning more about Truth and Reconciliation is a powerful and difficult journey.
- “Don’t take criticism from someone you would not take advice from.” – Jamie Kern Lima
- Cleaning out my inbox is not a good use of my time!
- “Stay curious just a little bit longer.” – Michael Bungay Stainer
- You can’t get the right answer to the wrong question.
- The sheer joy of sharing in positive experiences. Investing in positivity changes everything.
- You can wish for many things for your kids, but the greatest of those wishes is that they have true and loyal friends to share their lives with.
Over the past year and a half, I have often heard people say that in-person connection is the most important type of connection and how nothing else can compare to that. While we are all excited to get back to in-person activities, let’s take a moment to reflect on the virtual connections we have made… come with me and see what you think!
Yes, in-person connection is wonderful… but I also believe that virtual connection has the potential to be just as powerful.
I truly could not have predicted just how meaningful my virtual connections would become.
This period of abnormality has pushed our relationships to become deeper. Together, we have all had to navigate through the collective hardship that the pandemic has sprung onto our lives. Virtual connection has allowed us to have transformative experiences with ourselves and others – forging more solid relationships.
Thinking back to many of the conversations I have had over the past year and a half, I do see a pattern of openness and spontaneity. I’ve now become more likely to ask someone how they are doing without expecting a superficial answer. And, when asked this question myself, I am now more likely to give a genuine response.
I’ve seen a collective interest in one another’s wellbeing. At the end of messages, phone calls, emails, we were all telling each other to stay safe and healthy. We were all checking in to see how we were doing mental health-wise. We were all much more understanding of our individual circumstances, given that working from home posed a whole host of new challenges that we quickly had to navigate.
Now, it feels much more natural to check in with one another. And, I know that without this shift, I would not have been so open.
Because of virtual connection, I will now spontaneously call up my friends without giving it a second thought. I feel more connected to these people than ever before, and it is not due to being in-person. I am now much more likely to be brave and open up to others. I am also more aware of making an effort to be that genuine friend who is there when others need someone to open up to.
In some ways, the technological barrier made it easier to open up – free from certain social expectations that don’t automatically transfer through the computer screen.
As we see a return to normality, we mustn’t forget that it’s okay to be open with one another.
While we have made such an effort to pivot our in-person lives to an online format, why don’t we now try to translate the openness that we have felt virtually to our in-person lives?
Virtual connection is real, and this openness should be what we call the “new normal”.
With this all being said… virtual connection, here is your shout-out!
Thank you for bringing me closer to friends.
Thank you for helping me feel brave enough to reach out and make new friends.
Thank you for giving me the space to talk about the hard stuff.
Thank you for allowing us to keep our communities together.
Are you thankful for virtual connections? In what ways has virtual connection strengthened your relationships?
Cheers, Bronwen
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