Hey there,
Welcome to Day 1 of the 5-Day Values Mini-Course.
We're kicking things off with a big one today—happiness.
But before we get into it, there's something I need to tell you:
Values only matter if you know what yours are—and actually live by them.
And no, that's not easy. It takes work. Practice. Real self-honesty.
You won't nail it perfectly. No one does.
Because here's the thing: you can't live out every value at the same time.
One of the biggest lies in self-help is this idea that if you just think positively, believe in yourself, and visualize hard enough, you can "have it all."
You can't. Nobody does.
We all make constant trade-offs in life—that's part of the deal.
You might take a job you don't love because it gives you stability.
You might leave someone you love because your dreams pull you in different directions.
You might miss a family dinner to hit a deadline. Or skip writing your novel to be there for a friend.
Every decision comes with a cost.
And most of the time, you're not choosing between "good" and "bad."
You're choosing between two things you care about.
So the better question isn't "How can I have it all?"
It's: Which trade-off serves me best—based on who I am and what I value right now?
That's where we start.
TODAY'S MINI-LESSON: The Two Forms of Happiness (and Why They Both Matter)
There are two kinds of happiness: the kind that feels good, and the kind that is good.
Aristotle, that beloved ancient Greek philosopher, had names for both:
- Hedonia — Think: pleasure, comfort, enjoyment.
- Eudaimonia — Think: meaning, purpose, fulfillment.
A cold beer, a beach vacation, likes on your latest post? That's hedonia. It's fun and it feels good… but it's short-lived. Hedonic happiness is rooted in short-term rewards—dopamine, status, distractions. Nothing wrong with it. But it doesn't last.
Eudaimonia is the opposite. It's the kind of happiness that comes after doing the hard thing. The pride you feel when you kept your word. The peace that comes from living in integrity. Eudaimonia comes from sacrifice, commitment, and living your values.
Modern psychology backs this up. Psychologists Carol Ryff and Roy Baumeister both found that long-term well-being depends far more on meaning than on pleasure. People who live by their values—who align their actions with what they believe matters—report higher life satisfaction, even if they're not "happy" every day.
TODAY'S ACTION PROMPT
No one expects you to live a life that is void of short-term, hedonic pleasures. But, knowing that eudaimonic happiness provides more long-term well-being, ask:
What does the ideal balance of these two forms of happiness look like, for you?
Remember, there are no wrong answers.
And, if you're feeling ambitious today:
What's one short-term pleasure you can forgo today in the interest of more long-term satisfaction? Do it.
WANT TO TAKE THIS LESSON DEEPER?
→ Listen to the Values, Solved Podcast (it's completely free).
→ Read more about this lesson in our Values, Solved Guide – [click here to download]
Tomorrow, we'll get into how you find your values in the first place.
See you then,
Mark
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author
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