That giant fluttering sound you heard last month was the sound of 600 million American eyelids opening at once. Such was the reaction to Mike Wallace’s report on 60 Minutes highlighting a study from Leicester University in Leicester, England about happiness. The study reported that Denmark was the happiest country in the world. In fact, it has ranked first in Eurobarometer surveys for the last 30 years.
What makes them so happy?
If you’ve been following the latest earnings reports from Schouw & Company, the main shareholder of Martin Professional, you might think it’s because of the money the Danes — at least those who own Martin stock — are making. They’re showing more profit than Willie Nelson’s dope dealer. But according to Mike Wallace and Harvard professor Tal Ben-Shahar, the key to happiness has little to do with money.
“The number one predictor of well-being is close friendships and close relationships in general; that’s a much better predictor of well-being than affluence is,” Ben-Shahar says. But close friendships don’t tell the whole story. There are several other important factors, according to Dr. B-S, that influence our happiness. Each of them is listed below. Let’s see how we as an industry might rank in each area.
Simplify!
Dr. B-S says, “More is not always better.” And who knows that better than a roadie? On the road you can carry everything you and 17 other guys can fit under the bus or in your bunk. That typically amounts to a carry-on, a backpack, and if you’re lucky, a Halliburton case. If you’re in sales, however, that big house, nice car, and fast boat doesn’t qualify under “simplify.” Score: Techs: B+; Account Reps: C-
The Mind-Body Connection
“Thirty minutes three times a week” of vigorous exercise, Dr. B-S says, will keep your mind sharp and your body happy. Loading in a show, you might get thirty minutes of vigorous exercise in about five minutes. But for those of us behind the desk and on the phone, we need to make an extra effort to get to the gym. That goes for roadies on their days off, too, and techs on shop days. Score: Techs: A-; Account Reps: C-
Permission to be Human
Dr. B-S says that those of us who aren’t afraid of showing our emotions are higher up on the happiness scale. Unfortunately, there’s no crying in baseball or in the entertainment production industry. Score: Techs: D-; Account Reps: C-
Appreciation for What We Have
To be happy we should express gratitude whenever possible, so says Dr. B-S. We seldom see an interview in PLSN where the subject doesn’t thank just about every bus-mate and tour-mate in the tour book. And you’d be hard pressed to find a roadie or account rep who doesn’t fully appreciate good sushi and great beer. The industry, it seems, shines in the gratitude department. Score: Techs: A; Account Reps: A
Happiness is a State of Mind
Under normal circumstances, the doctor says, our happiness is a reflection of our state of mind. In other words, a positive mental attitude (PMA) is more important to your happiness than is money. Few people with a bad attitude last long in this industry. The natural selection results in some pretty good PMA and much less PMS than your average gig. Score: Techs: B+; Account Reps: B-
Meaning and Pleasure
Dr. B-S says that happiness comes with “the experience of both meaning and pleasure.” Few things in life are more meaningful and pleasurable than sending throngs of people home with a smile on their faces. Even account reps experience it vicariously through their connection with rest of the industry. Score: Techs: A+; Account Reps: B+
Americans in general score very low in the happiness scale. In fact, we scored 23rd, behind Canada and Costa Rica, according to Wallace. But as an industry, my guess is that we’re a solid B or a B-.
If your job doesn’t bring meaning to your life, then perhaps you’re in the wrong business. But if you want to bring more meaning to your job, then consider taking it up a notch by becoming an ETCP Certified Rigger or Entertainment Electrician. And if you want to add meaning to your job and have a really pleasurable time doing it, join us in Costa Rica for the PLSN University Training Seminar in the Tropics June 7-9. It’s less expensive than you think and it’s going to be a lot of fun. Check it out at http://plsn.webex.com .
If we can’t beat the Costa Ricans at being happy, we might as well join them.
