“Will I be happier for having done this?”  

Consider life as a series of doors, each leading to a different path. Before walking through any one, there’s one important question you need to ask yourself: “Will I be happier for having done this?” It’s a simple inquiry, a light to guide your footsteps, an echo in the vast hallways of decision-making.

It’s a question that unravels the essence of our choices, peeling away the layers of external influence and uncovering our core desires. It illuminates the underbelly of our decisions, pulling forth the things we truly seek — joy, fulfillment, peace.

It becomes particularly useful when the path ahead seems thorny, the door you face daunting. When a task appears cumbersome, undesirable, the question is a lighthouse in a storm. It urges you to look beyond the immediate, beyond the discomfort, and seek the potential joy on the other side.

The question doesn’t imply that all things must bring instant happiness, rather it asks us to evaluate the long-term implications. A task might be difficult now, but if it brings a bounty of joy later, it’s worth the sweat and grit.

So, let this question be your compass, guiding you through the labyrinth of life. Ask it before you take a step, before you open a door. It’s the quiet whisper nudging you towards your true north, ensuring that every move you make is one step closer to happiness.

Stephen Boudreau serves as VP of Brand and Community at Virtuous Software. For over two decades, he has helped nonprofits leverage the digital space to grow their impact. To that end, Stephen co-founded RaiseDonors, a platform that provides nonprofits with technology and experiences that remove barriers to successful online fundraising. He is an avid (but aging) soccer player, audiobook enthusiast, and the heavily-disputed UNO champion of his household.

Copyright ©2023 Stephen Boudreau.