By Brian Mohr

I ran across a quote by Jim Carrey on twitter. It said something to the effect of, “I wish everyone could be rich and famous and have everything they ever dreamed of, so they would know it’s not the answer”. Given the usual goofy nature of his movie characters, it might be hard to believe such an introspective quote would come from Carrey, but then again, you may recall his Maharishi University Commencement speech from a couple years ago – really powerful stuff.

Carrey’s quote resonated with me. It prompted me to think of the factors that contribute to my genuine happiness and sense of peace and well-being. There was a time when I was on the chase. You know, the chase of stuff, the chase of status, the chase of material treasures, the chase society tells us to pursue. But when I stopped to really think about what makes me genuinely happy, it comes down to 4 things. These are my 4 things.

Love. I am so fortunate to have an abundance of love in my life. I have an amazing wife, the most precious daughters any father could ask for, and a small army of family that no matter how much I may annoy them, they always love me. For me, it all starts with love.

The second is meaningful work. Like most of you, I am going to spend at least ⅓ of my life earning a living. As a young college graduate, I didn’t know what I wanted to be or how I was going to earn my living. I knew I was going to work, but never had the vision of what or where. I didn’t let the trappings of a decent compensation tether me to work or to a company whose purpose I didn’t find meaningful. I continued searching until I found it. Now that I’ve found it, it’s been a huge contributor to my happiness.

The third thing is having one best friend. Having someone you can talk to about anything and everything. That person who knows everything about you, who can call your bullshit, who will celebrate your victories, who will be there during your defeats, and who will take a bullet for you god forbid the situation ever arose. When I moved to Phoenix in 1997, I met my best friend on my first day of my new job. I didn’t know he would become my best friend at that time, but it’s funny to look back and appreciate how our paths ebbed and flowed over the years. I wish for everyone to have at least one best friend.

The final piece of my happiness puzzle comes in the form of a hobby. I’m lucky in this area. I actually have 2 hobbies that I could lose myself in at almost any time of day. The first is my love of music. Not a day goes by that I don’t listen to at least an hour, maybe two, of music. I get lost in the story, the melody, the passion behind the playing, and the emotional connection of a great song. If I’m answering the question, “what one album or band would you choose to take with you on a deserted island?,” I’ve got my answer ready to rock. My second hobby is poker. I love the game, the strategy, the cast of characters I play with, and the camaraderie we enjoy. If I think about the similarities of my two hobbies, I guess they serve as my sources of meditation. I think it’s important to have at least one hobby you do for love, not for money.

Love, meaningful work, one best friend and one hobby – these are my 4 things. My 4 things may not be your 4 things, but I hope this short post prompts you to think about, recognize and celebrate your 4 things. I’d love to hear about your 4 things – here’s to hoping you’ll share it with me.

From Brian: My career-to-date has been a learning-based journey with an intense focus on people, purpose, values, culture, leadership, and advocating capitalism as a force for good. I was a founding member of Jobing.com, one of the original online job boards, which I helped grow to over 350 employees and $38M in revenue over an 11-year period. I later became director of talent strategy & acquisition for P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and Pei Wei Asian Diner restaurants before joining forces with my co-founder, Max Hansen, to create the first purpose-based leadership search firm, Y Scouts, in 2012. In the summer of 2018, I doubled down on my commitment to leveraging business as a powerful force for good and joined the Arizona Chapter of Conscious Capitalism as its first President. Together with Scott McIntosh, Founder & Chairman of the Arizona Chapter of Conscious Capitalism, I am focused on helping the Arizona business community practice capitalism with both a long-term view and a stakeholder-centric orientation; a model of business that creates prosperity for all.

My volunteer efforts include being a member of the Global Board of Trustees of Conscious Capitalism, Inc., and a member of the Board of Directors of the Better Business Bureau of the Pacific Southwest. I am anxiously anticipating the launch of my first book, “Hiring on Purpose – How the Y Scouts Method is Revolutionizing the Search for Leaders”. My most important and cherished responsibilities are being the lucky father to my 2 daughters, Taylor and Riley, and the proud husband to my wife, Jackie. In my spare time, you’ll find me practicing guitar and enjoying an occasional game of Texas Hold ‘Em Poker.

Be sure to attend Conscious Capitalism’s national annual conference in Phoenix this April. Click here for details!

• Uncategorized