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The Pursuit of Happiness or Happiness of the Pursuit?

The Pursuit of Happiness or Happiness of the Pursuit?

Jake Luehrs
February 21, 2026

ONE QUESTION

What are you chasing because you ‘should’ want it rather than actually wanting it?

ONE THING TO PONDER

As soon as you start to see struggle as growth rather than punishment, everything changes.

ONE PERSPECTIVE

Setting goals we aren't committed to doesn't inspire us…it actually tortures us.

We want to be committed, or rather, we want to want to be committed.

We’re committed to the idea, but only interested in the work.

Interest doesn’t breed commitment.

We’ve got it backwards…

It’s not the pursuit of happiness that matters, it’s the happiness of the pursuit.

Wrong pursuit, more suffering. Right pursuit, more happiness.

We're often "committed" to the outcome, but not the actions.

We end up chasing things that make us miserable, then wonder why we aren’t consistent.

Our challenge is that we overestimate results that our actions will produce.

We’ve become entitled to ‘deserving’ based on our expectations, not truth.

We've become addicted to ‘big thinking’ while maintaining mediocre habits.

Consider this question…. ‘Am I more in love with the outcome than I am committed to the work?’

Don't rush past that question.

Because if the answer is YES….that's why we get stuck.

Building a business, wealth, relationships, anything meaningful takes decades….not weeks or months.

If our expectations of actions vs results are out of alignment, we will forever feel sorry for ourselves.

Gauging Entitlement

If the gap between where we are and where we want to be is filled with “what can I do to close the gap?’, we’re on the right track.

If the gap between where we are and where we want to be is other people's responsibility or problem, then we may have slipped into entitlement.

Meaning, we believe we deserve something, don’t get it, and then spend all of our time complaining about what we feel we deserve vs being willing to earn it.

Small things lead to big things. In. Every. Area. Of. Life.

Consistency in small things creates the possibility for big things.

So, if our goal is to make massive improvements in our health, in our businesses, in our relationships, don't confuse it with big action. Get aligned on the small actions that you do every single day for 6-12 months.

Here's where society has led us astray....We've turned goal-setting into a comparison sport.

We've made it about who can dream bigger, aim higher, post louder.

The world doesn't need more people with impressive goals…It needs more people with aligned actions.

Your future self won't be impressed by what you planned to do.

They'll be grateful for what you actually did.

Not the vision board. Not the affirmations. Not the big announcement.

Just the pursuit of meaningful and aligned actions that serve other people.

Onward and upward!

LEAD & LEARN : WEEKLY PICK

PODCAST

NBA Psychologist: The Secret to Thriving Under Pressure | Dr. Wayne Chappelle

Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast

We all have word biases with different words. One of those words is pressure. Pressure isn't a negative thing. That is nothing more than the brain trying to keep us safe. The relationship we have with pressure determines how much we’ll strive towards our potential. This podcast is a strong foundation of properly understanding how we look at pressure and how the brain works! Well worth the listen!