Happy Is Fast While Sad Is Slow

About twenty years ago, I attended a Tony Robbins event in Del Mar, California.Tony spent a good deal of time discussing pain and pleasure and concluded that individuals will do whatever possible to avoid pain and have pleasure.He had five poor individuals on the stage with him, and the subject was "time." He was trying to determine what represented a long time and what represented a short time. He was making no progress, so he ambled into the audience.As all six-foot-seven of him loomed above me, he glanced at my nametag and said: "Okay, Norman, we have never heard from you. What do you think is a long or short time?"I thought for a second and answered: "A long time is any amount of time when you are having pain and a short time is any amount of time when you are having pleasure."Tony loved my reply, and we all discussed it for a half hour.Very early in my career, I discovered that, when the staff was having a good time, we/they performed better, and the time at work simply flew by.

I once was interviewed by the New York Times concerning my departure from Columbia Pictures and my starting a television company for Polygram. I told the reporter that I had left Columbia because it stopped being fun.My new German/Dutch management went nuts when they read it. They had absolutely no concept of fun at work. The head of the company (a lawyer) called me and asked what I meant. I was not proud of myself when I answered that perhaps it would be better stated if I had said "the gratification of success." He was happy about that.I wonder how they deal with that issue at Harvard Business School.I recently came across a quote that I wish I had written: "Money in all its disguises is the religion of humanity."

Those that maintain that money can't buy happiness are correct to a certain extent. However, money can certainly provide a certain amount of pleasure...and yes, even happiness.But, however you find (or define) happiness, I've always believed that happy is fast while sad is slow.I will conclude with a poem I wrote just before Thanksgiving. I call it "Doggies"...

It's Thanksgiving soon, and I remember so wellThe sights, the sounds, the warmth, the smell.We had big dinners, and kids came too.When it was time to eat dinner, it was all so swell.Dinner was liked by our dog Annabelle.She was imported from London, all fluffy and white,A Maltese so tiny, but she was a fright.She barked at all doggies and wanted to fightThem no matter how big, and she was so slight.She was the same color as our living room rug.She loved all celebrations, and she looked all around'Cause people dropped food there that Annabelle found.She would sleep with my children and cuddle up snug.She was so sweet, and she was so nice.I think of her often, not once or not twice.The years are all gone now; they sped quickly by.I think of dear Annabelle, and at times I cry,For things are so fleeting no matter I try.She's gone forever; it's been sad for me.Yet I found Valerie; she was such a love.She had a big doggie, a gift from above.The dog's name was Jerry, a hundred pound Doodle, all fluffy, all white.Jerry was also quite crazy but such a delight.Now Valerie's gone, and Jerry's moved away.I miss her and two doggies both by night and by day.Happy is fast while sad is so slow.I need to move on. I need to just go.