That fleeting feeling

I get a thrill whenever I open a new digital device for the first time and discover a function or a built-in app that can help me do things better and faster. I quickly say, “Galing!”

I feel that the money I spent is worth it.

I find myself using the same word when it comes to purchasing new things. These may be new clothes, new shoes, new furniture, new car or something else. That feeling of “galing” is an emotional experience that encompasses a lot of things.

Perhaps it is the feeling of having “accomplished things” or it may be the feeling of “I have arrived.” Do you know that the same feeling exists in business?

You see the accomplishments of a project you worked on, a building you built and acquisition of another company.

You may utter it silently or say it aloud when no one is there to hear and then you say, “galing!”

It may also mean a moment of total satisfaction. After all the hardships, long labor and efforts invested, the payoff is finally here.

The problem with this feeling is that it quickly goes away. In order to recapture that “galing” feeling, you buy something else and acquire more hoping that feeling will come to you again.

This cycle may be addictive. The satisfaction seems to come in shorter spurts and you wonder why? But then again you don’t have much time to wonder because you look forward to the next acquisition, the next project and the next development.

No one is spared from this and it is important to know why.

In my opinion, real satisfaction does not come from possessing and acquiring. We are just not wired that way. Real satisfaction comes from doing, serving and having someone to share it with. When you make a difference in the life of someone, you actually receive a kind of satisfaction you cannot explain.

Michael Ramsden says, “In life, you’re not made happy by what you acquire but by what you appreciate. The problem we have today is not that people feel they have nothing to be grateful for, it’s that they feel they have no one to be grateful to.”

That last statement really blows my mind.

My son and I attended this year’s National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.

It was a time of bonding between father and son. We toured the place and appreciated the great history of the people and the events that took place in the nation’s capital.

When we passed through Arlington Cemetery, we immediately felt a sense of solemnity. Buried in this place were men of great accomplishments. I was immediately inspired, but I felt a bit of disappointment when many young people no longer remember or recognize the names on the tombstones of the brave and mighty.

We need to be productive in order to be happy. We need to allow the works of our hands the to be the channels of blessing to others and not permit greed to rule our lives.

Somebody says, “Greed may get us what we want, but it robs us of what we already have.” We experience significant happiness and satisfaction when we are doing more and not acquiring more.

We get a deeper sense of satisfaction when we are making a difference in the lives of others. One day we will be forgotten, people will no longer recognize us but the lives we touch today will live on. Build your business and career on this thought.

Spend two life-transforming days with Francis Kong learning leadership and life skills as he present Level Up Leadership on March 17-18 at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries, contact Inspire at 09158055910 or call 632-6310912 for details.