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For more than twenty years, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with dozens of CEOs and high-net-worth individuals to help them meet business and personal/lifestyle goals — in part by creating legacy projects that deliver lasting impact.

One of the most important things I’ve learned through this work is that there are pronounced distinctions between happiness and fulfillment and that knowing the difference is critical for personal and business success.

Because while happiness is important, it’s often fleeting — whether felt in the wake of an important sale, solid third-quarter results or upon receiving a promotion. It makes you feel good, as it should, but in the long run, tends not to change anything significant in how we live our lives day to day. It’s like a boost of dopamine—tends to leave as quickly as it arrived.

Conversely, fulfillment is the result of extended dedication to a task, project, objective or dream. It is most often the result of a commitment to something greater than yourself, like family, a cause or community. Fulfillment is essentially, sustained and deep happiness.

Innately, we recognize that happiness is fleeting and that fulfillment should be our long-term objective. However, for most of us, the goal continues to be the former. As a result of having the wrong focus, untold millions wind up stressed, unhealthy and suffering from debilitating mental illnesses like depression and addiction.

So how do we break the cycle of chasing short-term satisfaction as opposed to long-term fulfillment?

Related: The Biggest Trap Of Entrepreneurship: Happiness ≠ Achievement

Step 1. Work on yourself

It may sound simplistic, but the basic truth is that fulfillment is impossible if you don’t first take care of your body and mind. Focusing on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing is the foundation for any other achievement.

A good place to start is with diet and exercise. This doesn’t mean you have to live like an athlete training for the Olympics: small adjustments can go a long way toward creating big changes, both physically and psychologically.

When it comes to diet, I love a simple phrase in Michael Pollen’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, “Eat (real) food, not too much, mostly plants.” In other words, take it easy on heavily processed or fast food, as well as meat, and instead go for lots of vegetables and fruit. Just following that uncluttered guidance will work wonders.

In terms of exercise, every bit helps, and the mantra “Use it or lose it” is great to keep in mind. A 2013 study found that, without regular exercise, we lose 1% to 2% per year in lean body mass and 1.5% to 5% per year of overall strength after turning 40.

If you don’t exercise at the moment, start slowly. Even simple strolls have significant benefits. A 2023 Harvard report found that walking just 20 minutes a day, five days a week, yields significant health benefits, including cutting obesity incidence in half, reducing joint pain, lowering the risks of cancer and boosting immune health. Workers who were active in this basic way took 43% fewer sick days than those who were sedentary.

No matter how busy we are, everyone should be able to find 100 minutes a week to walk.

Related: 7 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Must Workout

Step 2. Look outward

To me, a striking similarity among the myriad of theories, seminars and self-improvement coaching available today is that they tend to be focused on looking inward. But finding a purpose greater than ourselves is even more vital. Personal change is part of the process, certainly, but the ultimate goal — the true purpose in life —should be something greater. This kind of looking outward will also help with Step 1 because science tells us that interacting with and connecting to others is critical on many levels.

The Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, details in part that we have a fundamental human need to meaningfully connect with others. It emphasizes the importance of social connection in regulating nervous system responses and promoting emotional wellbeing.

Similarly, the U.S. Surgeon General stated in 2023 that loneliness — a phenomenon made much more widespread by both the pandemic and the isolation that comes from living in a digital world—poses health risks as deadly as smoking, its effects equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.

Related: What’s the Burnt Toast Theory? A Psychologist Explains the Mindset Hack That Can Make You Happier and More Successful.

But what constitutes a wellness-producing connection? In practice, it can be as simple as going for a coffee with an elderly neighbor and extend to coaching a youth sports team, joining a book club or volunteering at a community center. These are simple, tangible actions that place you in the company of real people — much more spiritually fulfilling than social media or Zoom calls.

Step 3. Redefine what success means

A commonplace Western construct is that happiness comes from success. The hitch is that, in my opinion, our definition of success is flawed. We generally equate it with wealth, fame and power. Further, we are conditioned to think that more is better: more money, more possessions and more attention, but I have seen first-hand that some of the wealthiest and most “successful” people are among the least fulfilled. They’ve checked all the boxes of conventional notions of achievement but remain wanting.

A 2018 study found that a stunning 49% of CEOs report struggling with a mental health condition (compared to just under 23% of the U.S. adult population as a whole) and that the majority of them report feeling overworked and combat both fatigue and continual stress.

Related: How to Reframe Your Internal Dialogue for Greater Fulfillment in Both Work and Life

Chasing short-term happiness in the form of money, possessions and social media status creates a vicious cycle of never having enough, which leads to more stress and more unhappiness. Instead, look inward to better yourself physically and emotionally so that you have the capacity to look outward. You will then become a better leader, friend, coach and parent — and create a self-perpetuating cycle of betterment.

One of the world’s most well-known bargain airlines is taking steps towards a more luxurious experience.

Spirit Airlines announced it will offer a new class called “Go Big,” which will include extra-wide seats located at the front of the plane. It appears to be the budget airline’s take on “business class” seating.

Related: Spirit Airlines CEO: Airline Industry Is a ‘Rigged Game’

Other perks of the new seats will include complimentary snacks and drinks, a carry-on bag, a checked bag, priority boarding, priority check-in, and access to streaming services while in-flight.

The seats will also include additional cushioning and legroom without including a middle seat.

“We’re unveiling a new era in Spirit’s history and taking low-fare travel to new heights with enhanced options that are unlike anything we’ve offered before,” Ted Christie, Spirit’s President and CEO, said in a company release. “We listened to our Guests and are excited to deliver what they want: choices for an elevated experience that are affordable and provide unparalleled value.”

Spirit has historically been known for its below-average ticket prices, but it’s also known for adding upcharges on additional perks and services, including carry-on bags and snacks for certain ticket holders depending on their price tier.

The new seats will be available for booking on August 16 for flights that take off on August 27 and later.

Spirit did not specify what the exact price for the new seats would be.

Earlier this year, a proposed merger with JetBlue failed after the $3.8 billion deal was blocked by the U.S. Department of Justice, which alleged the merger would monopolize competition in the aviation industry.

Related: Spirit Airlines Furloughs Hundreds of Pilots, Defers Airbus

“Today, nearly all the profits of the entire U.S. airline industry are concentrated in just two companies, while the smaller non-legacy carriers scrambled to restore profitability in what seems ever more like a rigged game,” Christie told investors about the failed deal during a Q1 2024 earnings call in May. “American consumers are the long-term losers.”

The airline had a rough first quarter, reporting an adjusted net loss of $160 million and roughly $1.3 billion in revenue, which was a 6.2% decrease from the same time last year, something the airline attributed to adverse weather on the East Coast and “air traffic control-related delays.”

Spirit Airlines was down over 83.55% year over year as of Wednesday afternoon.

Athletes who win a gold, silver, or bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics receive a medal, a poster, and a stuffed toy of the Olympics mascot — but no money.

Even though the International Olympic Committee doesn’t offer a financial prize for a win, some countries still offer medalists cash bonuses. On Tuesday, based on data from the National Olympic Committees, CNBC published a list of the countries that reward winning athletes and how much they receive for each medal.

Related: ‘The Olympics Are a Business’: Mark Cuban Says NBA Players Should Not Be Permitted to Play in the 2024 Summer Games

Hong Kong and Singapore are the most generous, rewarding gold medalists with over half a million dollars.

^{Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images}

The U.S. finished tenth on the list, with prizes ranging from $15,000 to $38,000.

Becoming an Olympic athlete takes a six-figure investment with no guaranteed return, salary, or federal support to cover expenses. Rick Hawn, who competed in the 2004 Olympics in judo, said his family felt the financial strain of his Olympic career.

“My parents nearly went bankrupt,” Hawn told The Huffington Post. “They put whatever they could into me and I’m the oldest of six kids.”

The Paris Olympics costs up to $21,700 in fees and membership dues, but the annual income of one in four U.S. Olympians is less than $15,000. Team USA does award nearly $2.5 million in private grants every year.

Related: Famed Broadcaster Al Michaels’ Voice Will Be AI-Generated for Summer Olympics Coverage

Here are the top five countries with the highest Olympic payouts.

Hong Kong

Gold: $768,000

Silver: $384,000

Bronze: $192,000

Singapore

Gold: $745,000

Silver: $373,000

Bronze: $186,000

Indonesia

Gold: $300,000

Silver: $150,000

Bronze: $60,000

Israel

Gold: $271,000

Silver: $216,000

Bronze: $135,000

Republic of Kazakhstan

Gold: $250,000

Silver: $150,000

Bronze: $75,000

Here’s how the U.S. pays its medalists

Gold: $38,000

Silver: $23,000

Bronze: $15,000

For the full chart, click here.

A recent study by Northeastern University revealed that 48% of healthcare staff feel their organizations are not addressing burnout. In an industry where burnout is prevalent, I’m proud to say that our practice stands out.

Our team falls within the minority of healthcare professionals who feel genuinely valued and maintain a healthy work-life balance. This positive environment isn’t just good for our staff — it’s a critical factor in our ability to deliver compassionate, high-quality care while growing a thriving medical practice.

Conventional options are usually welcomed with raised eyebrows and skepticism, especially with technological advancements popping up every second of the day. On the contrary, my progressive education and extensive clinical experience have taught me that for a solution to work, it needs to be as natural as possible. This is backed by over a decade of practice with countless incredible opportunities to support individuals on their journey to optimal health and wellness.

I’ve seen and come to grips with complex health issues, but it’s never been short of a fulfilling experience. The immense satisfaction of witnessing patients smile, thrive and return to me for further support with positive testimonies has always filled my heart. But from a business perspective, I want to make sure that my success is a shared victory with the people who share my passion for preventing illness and providing compassionate care — my team.

This collaborative approach not only enhances patient care but also contributes to a positive, productive work environment—essential elements in building and sustaining a prosperous healthcare business.

Related: Unlock Business Resiliency By Prioritizing Your People

Define and communicate a clear mission and vision

When I embraced my calling to help people achieve optimum wellness and health, my mission was integrative and preventive medicine, prescribing drugs when necessary and providing alternative options for patients to decide their commitment.

Chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s have plagued the lives of many. Whether you’ve personally battled these life-threatening conditions or know someone who is on their journey to healing, you understand how these conditions can significantly alter lifestyles. With this in mind, I have been advocating for a model prioritizing prevention over prescription, emphasizing lifestyle alterations and natural healing alongside conventional treatments. I take a proactive, not reactive, approach to my patients. To provide education, alternative and traditional options, hope, partnership, and continuity of care and accountability. This mission was the foundation of my practice, guiding every decision from service offerings to team culture.

To bring this vision to life, I intentionally built a business model focused on prevention, habit modifications and prescription as a last resort. This approach was more complex, requiring a deep dive into integrated medicine and a commitment to continuous learning. I joined relevant associations and collaborated with colleagues to expand my knowledge base.

Related: Don’t Be a Statistic in the Great Resignation: Prioritize Employees’ Health to Retain and Attract Talent

Find a team that resonates with your mission

Aligning my team with this vision was important for me. I sought individuals who shared my passion for preventive care and understood the importance of patient-centered care. Certainly, it wasn’t easy, especially 25 years ago when functional medicine was considered controversial. However, I persisted in finding a team that resonated with my mission.

Make sure your patients feel heard

Moreover, top-notch customer service is the heart of our practice. Our team understands that often, patients feel unheard and undervalued by the healthcare system. But in our practice, we try our best to cater to their needs and offer empathetic care. We prioritize patient needs and convenience, and our practice mainly revolves around customer service. We’ve been committed to doing this for years, allowing us to leverage word-of-mouth referrals and ultimately build strong retention and a loyal patient base.

Because everyone shares the same mission, my team is inspired to go above and beyond to ensure patients walk out of our doors beyond satisfied, recognizing that their emotional experience has a direct impact on their overall perspective on healthcare services.

Related: 7 Tips for Reaching More Patients and Growing Your Healthcare Practice

Cultivate a positive and appreciative work culture

Since founding my medical practice, I have prioritized creating a positive and supportive work environment. This has made it easier for me to attract and retain talented team members. I prefer to hire kind and empathetic individuals rather than skilled individuals. These qualities cannot be taught, and they are fundamental to providing exceptional patient care.

To continuously build a strong team culture, I emphasize ownership, contribution and appreciation. I find the time to recognize and appreciate their hard, dedicated work ethic and empower them to take initiative. This approach created a sense of belonging and purpose. I remember during the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone on the team kept their chins up. This was because of the strong foundation of trust and mutual respect we successfully cultivated.

I’m proud to say that my team is among the few in healthcare who are well-recognized at work and enjoy work-life balance. I’m grateful for the teamwork and supportive environment we continue to pull off, especially during high-pressure situations.

AI and blockchain are complementary forms of technology that have, as readers are likely aware, gained stunning momentum in recent years. Over the course of just last year, the former has found expansive application across the business landscape: According to a survey from UKG from late 2023, no less than 78% of executives reported that their companies were using artificial intelligence. A further 71% considered AI to be a medium to high priority for their businesses, and 62% thought they were not adopting such solutions fast enough.

Second, we have blockchain technology. As early as 2018, 84% of C-suite members in a PwC survey claimed to have a blockchain initiative underway, and the rapid rise of cryptocurrency in the intervening years has shed further light on its potential.

Related: Meet The Visionary Shaping Entertainment Through Blockchain

The benefits of AI and blockchain working in tandem

As these two concepts become more mainstream, business leaders are increasingly recognizing their productive capacity in working together. In a recent presentation at the EY Global Blockchain Summit 2024, for example, EY Global Chief Innovation Officer Jeff Wong addressed the synergistic possibilities of blockchain’s ability to certify original ownership, particularly as AI-generated content increases. He pointed out that technologies rarely create a leap forward on their own: Usually, Wong said, they have to come together with other new or existing ones to enable higher utility and a surge of development.

Companies can use AI and blockchain together to change business processes and influence digital transactions—among the payoffs are a further reduction in costs and a transformation of consumer experiences in the consumption of online content and in other digital interactions.

The question is, what might all this potentially translate to in day-to-day business operations?

Here are a few possibilities:

1. AI-driven predictive analytics

The ability of artificial intelligence to look at past data and use it to predict future outcomes has gained impressive recent utility. However, that usefulness diminishes if past data is unreliable. Blockchain reinforces the predictions of AI-driven analytics by ensuring that data used in each algorithm is accurate, untampered with and transparent.

Companies can use blockchain to create a level of integrity and reliability that’s not possible in a less secure set of data for AI models.

Related: A Complete Guide to Using Predictive Analytics in Your Business

2. Enhanced data security and capability

Blockchain’s ability to improve data trustworthiness is unrivaled. It publicly traces all iterations of a piece of data, recording transactions in a decentralized and tamper-proof manner.

This markedly improves data quality but does not boost utility. That’s where AI comes into the picture: It can execute increasingly sophisticated actions, including creation and generation. But here once again, the quality of data lies at the heart of each LLM’s (large language models) dependability — something blockchain naturally elevates.

Blockchain technology can create data that powers cleaner and more accurate AI results.

3. Sophisticated smart contracts

Contracts make the business world go round, but can also hold things up when not handled efficiently. Blockchain makes it possible to store self-executing smart contracts on-chain when certain conditions are met. This reduces errors, eliminates the need for intermediaries and lowers costs.

AI takes the basic yet vital acceleration of blockchain contract execution and increases complexity. The LLM models and neural networks that power AI algorithms introduce a higher degree of adaptation to the smart contract model. This gives them a dynamic, decision-making quality that uses real-time data to power adjustments.

Businesses can use AI to enhance smart contract capabilities and reduce workloads.

Related: Making a Difference with Adaptive Neural Networks

Investing in synergy

Technology is always advancing, but rare are the moments when multiple complementary techs overlap in powerful ways. The intersection of blockchain’s reliability and AI’s capability could lead to an explosion in business efficiency and dynamism. The question is, are you and your company ready to explore that new frontier?

Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for AI isn’t a single chatbot like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude; he instead envisions as many chatbots as there are Meta users, each infused with unique personalities and likenesses.

At the 2024 SIGGRAPH conference on Monday, Zuckerberg told Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about Meta’s new AI studio, released the same day to U.S. users. The AI studio allows anyone to create an AI chatbot modeled after themselves or a fictional character — with no code required.

“We want to empower all the people who use our products to basically create agents for themselves,” Zuckerberg explained.

The chatbots work across Instagram, Messenger, Whatsapp, and the web, and Meta has a handbook that guides interested AI creators through the process of making one.

Huang said he was “super excited” about creator AI and called it a “home run idea.”

He stated that the power to create AI now extends to the hundreds of millions of small businesses that use Meta’s products.

“We eventually want to be able to pull in all of your content and very quickly stand up a business agent and be able to interact with your customers and do sales and customer support,” Zuckerberg said.

Related: Mark Zuckerberg Says This CEO Is the ‘Taylor Swift’ of Tech

He positioned the AI studio as the first step towards custom AI chatbots that could help small businesses and creators interact more personally with their communities. The AI personalities would be trained on the material needed to properly represent the business.

^{Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Jason Henry/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

Meta’s AI studio had bots like GreenThumbGuru, which focused on gardening tips, and The Sassy Psychic Priscilla, which advertised “real talk, no fluff,” at the time of writing.

Zuckerberg said that one of the top use cases so far for Meta AI has been emotional support. People are using AI to think through difficult social situations, like asking their manager for a promotion.

This is where the flexibility to create different AI personalities comes in handy compared to a unified AI model, according to Zuckerberg.

“It’s all part of this bigger view we have that there shouldn’t just be one big AI,” Zuckerberg said. “We just think that the world will be better and more interesting if there’s a diversity of these different things.”

Related: Mark Zuckerberg Says Apple’s ‘Constrained’ Platform Is the ‘Major Reason’ He’s Pushing for Open Source AI

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan had a similar outlook on the future of AI.

In a June interview, Yuan told The Verge that his vision was to have an AI version of himself attend meetings, act as a personal assistant, and send him summaries of meetings. Custom AI bots have the potential to cut the five-day workweek down to four or three days, he said.

In a stunning display of skill and mental fortitude, Stephen Nedoroscik, the U.S. pommel horse specialist, helped deliver the U.S. men’s gymnastics team’s first Olympic medal in nearly two decades. It was a task described as “impossible” by Olympic reporter Will Graves.

The critical moment came during a routine that brought the crowd to its feet in Bercy Arena. Sam Mikulak, former Olympic gymnast turned mentor, had a key moment with Nedoroscik before his routine. He told Nedoroscik that a controlled effort at 80% would suffice, knowing full well that Nedoroscik has a 100% commitment to his sport and problem-solving — including his Rubik’s Cube playing hobby.

“You have to trick yourself,” Mikulak, a three-time Olympian turned coach, told AP News. “You’ve got to make sure you don’t let all the noise get into your head.”

Mikulak’s mental coaching kept Nedoroscik composed amidst the monumental pressure of the Olympic stage.

The U.S. gymnastics team was just a routine away from clinching a medal, following an impressive series of performances from team members Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Paul Juda, and Asher Hong.

Nedoroscik’s routine was hailed a masterclass in pommel horse excellence, earning resounding approval from his teammates and the throngs of American supporters present. His final score of 14.866 served as a decisive “exclamation point” on the U.S. team’s efforts.

Much anticipation surrounds Nedoroscik as he enters the event finals on Wednesday, carrying the top qualifying score—a testament to his hard work and innovation in the sport. Whatever the outcome, Monday’s performance cements his legacy and inspires both his teammates and fans worldwide with his big heart.

“I’m really proud of these guys,” he said while sitting with his gold medal teammates. “I love you boys.”

Read more at AP News

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The 2024 Summer Olympics are making a bang in Paris, France, but local businesses are saying sales are anything but booming.

Despite an influx of visitors and tourists coming to watch the games, local business owners are reporting slow summer days due to several factors affecting the city and surrounding areas, including acts of vandalism and security issues.

In addition to increased security measures around the city, including metal detectors and police checkpoints, certain landmarks and tourist attractions also have restricted and limited access for visitors, which means surrounding businesses are suffering.

Related: Delta CEO Says the Airline Will Suffer a $100 Million Loss Due to 2024 Paris Olympic Games

“It’s been very slow since the beginning of June,” menswear shop owner Jean-Pierre Salson told the Associated Press. “July is worse. There’s a lot less tourists, from all the countries. I think they’re avoiding France and Paris because they’re afraid of the Olympics.”

While Parisian locals often opt to leave the city for summer vacation, tourists without tickets to the games are avoiding the area, too.

In a joint statement to Paris24, a group of restaurant, hotel, retail, and nightspot unions said that, despite optimistic forecasts, “many professionals have seen their revenue fall by 30 percent compared with previous years.”

Hotel prices have also skyrocketed, making visitors choose other European locales to visit this summer, instead.

“It’s very quiet now,” said Guillaume Faller, a restaurant manager in Paris, per the AP. “Much quieter than the same period last year. But I think it will bounce back in a few days. In any case, I hope so.”

Airlines are also feeling the brunt.

Related: Paris Olympics Athletes: Food a ‘Disaster,’ Teams Hire Chefs

Earlier this month, Delta Airlines announced it was anticipating a $100 million quarterly loss due to the Olympics.

“Unless you’re going to the Olympics, people aren’t going to Paris … very few are,” CEO Ed Bastian said, at the time. “Business travel, you know, other types of tourism is potentially going elsewhere.”

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games began on Friday, July 26, and continue through Sunday, August 11.