Truly happy.
When was the last time you were filled with a joy that didn't fade after a few hours? A happiness that lets you fall asleep with a quiet smile, with the feeling that your life is in the right order?
To be honest, there weren't that many such moments in my past. Sure, there were career successes. Good grades. Invitations to fancy dinners. Trips to distant countries. But did that fulfill me? No. It was important, it served its purpose, but it didn't give me meaning.
Daily grind between family and to-do list
We all know this in some way or another. Life dictated by appointments. Deadlines, meetings, sales targets. We work from Monday to Friday, from goal to goal. Sometimes with real dedication, sometimes just on autopilot.
And even when we are successful, there often remains a quiet feeling of emptiness.
The psychologist Viktor Frankl, who survived the Holocaust, wrote: "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how." Meaning is the deepest human driving force. If meaning is missing, even brilliant careers become hollow. Conversely, meaningfulness can carry us through all the difficulties of life.
Moments that last
Looking back, it's not the biggest deals or business trips that have stuck with me.
It's moments of a different kind altogether.
For example, when I was able to repair a small hut for two orphaned girls in a township near White River in South Africa. A few boards, a little tool, a few hours of work. But for them, it meant protection from attacks, protection from the whims of the weather, and a sense of security at night.
Or when I dug a toilet hole in hard earth. That certainly wasn't a glamorous task, nothing I can put on my resume. And yet: for the children in this Safe Park, it was the difference between dignity and shame, between danger and safety. (We didn't use the term Safe Park back then, but that's exactly what it was.)
Practical action changes us
These activities were simple. And that's exactly where the power lay. Because meaning often arises in the practical, in the tangible. But especially in "service" to those in need.
It wasn't the digging or hammering itself that was fulfilling, but the immediate experience that I could improve something with my own hands. To make a difference for someone who really needs it. I could see and feel the impact directly.
In a world where so much is virtual and indirect, there is hardly anything stronger than this feeling. It connects us with our humanity, with our responsibility, and with the joy of giving.
Happiness that lasts
Such experiences change you. They put perspectives straight. They make us grateful for our own privileges and make us realize that happiness grows not in consumption, but in giving.
As the cliché goes: "Happiness is the only thing that multiplies when you share it."
Happiness arises where we give ourselves. Where we give up our advantage and become part of something bigger.
What truly motivates us
American author Daniel Pink describes three things that fundamentally drive people: Autonomy, Mastery/Creation, and Purpose. Autonomy means being able to shape things yourself. Mastery means getting better at what you do. But the strongest engine of all is purpose, the feeling that our work and energy contribute to something bigger.
This is often what we lack in everyday life. Because as important as income, career, and security are, they do not satisfy the need for genuine significance.
👉 RROOTS & BRIDGES aims to create exactly such spaces. We combine practical help with deep experience. We build bridges between continents, cultures, and people. And we experience how purposeful action not only changes the lives of those in need, but also our own. Because actually, we are all in need, just on different levels.
Perhaps you also feel this longing to leave everything behind and make a difference with your own strength.
Sometimes a simple step is enough to experience what true happiness means.
If you are interested in experiencing this live or are looking for the "purpose factor" for your company, then contact us.
Best regards,
Hardy
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