Consider these two examples to further illustrate the power of V.E.J.
It’s the end of the day one afternoon in Silicon Valley. An executive at a tech start up peels herself away from her office and heads home. As she creeps along highway 101 in route to her San Francisco home, she reflects on her day and life and realizes that she is “happy”, but not as happy as she would like.
Halfway around the world, a man is starting his day working in his field on a small plot of land where he will produce just enough food to provide for his family and keep a modest home. As he walks out at dawn onto his tiny farm, he thinks to himself how “happy” he is and how blessed he feels.
We can look at these two examples and attribute their differences in happiness to mindset, outlook, or gratitude, which would be very fitting. However, there is likely simpler answer that is rooted more in pragmatics than culture and personality. What may actually be at play is a disconnect between some very simple, yet profound factors that lead to either happiness or unhappiness in one’s work-Values, expertise, and joy.