Ask someone what their goal is in life, and most people will say something along the lines of making good money, hitting it big, having a job (or career) they enjoy, or finding happiness. And yet, not too many of us have clear thoughts on what exactly it means to find happiness or hit it big.

We know we want happiness and a good job and to find success–the trouble is, not many of us know how to get there.

Many people in corporate America have excellent careers and are very happy. But would you believe us if we told you that people in careers like the skilled trades or manufacturing can have lives that are just as (if not more) fulfilling and happy? There’s a stigma attached to many jobs outside corporate America these days, but the truth is, those same jobs can be extremely rewarding. They may even be able to teach us a thing or two about finding happiness.

That’s exactly the premise of  In it, he draws on his experiences with people working ‘dirty jobs’ to figure out what happiness is and how we can find it in our careers. As it turns out, the people you might not expect to be happy are often the ones with the most fulfilled lives. Mike thinks there’s a thing or two we can learn from folks working dirty jobs, and we agree.

We definitely recommend giving Mike’s TED Talk a watch. Even if you don’t have interest in pursuing a ‘dirty job’ or working in manufacturing, there are some great lessons in his talk that can apply to people from all careers and walks of life. Have a look below:

Have any thoughts about the video, or questions about what it’s like working in manufacturing or the skilled trades? Reach out to us via  or –we’d love to hear from you!

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