Florian Langenscheidt's tips for more joie de vivre: the lucky charm

Created: 09/01/2023, 16:00

By: Katja Kraft

"I'm an extremely grateful person," says Florian Langenscheidt.

And that's why it's usually a very happy one.

© Florian Jaenicke

Florian Langenscheidt has written many books on the subject of happiness.

In his current issue of “The Happiness of Freedom”, he and other successful entrepreneurs talk about their path to professional happiness.

A conversation with Langenscheidt about being happy.

Happiness, dear happiness.

Sometimes not so easy to find.

Florian Langenscheidt, great-great-grandson of the Langenscheidt publishing house founder Gustav and himself a successful entrepreneur, is concerned with the question of happiness.

The 67-year-old has written many books about it.

In the current issue of “The Luck of Freedom”

, successful founders talk about their path to (professional) happiness.

On January 10, 2023, some of them will present it with Florian Langenscheidt from 6.30 p.m. in the Munich Urban Colab, Freddie-Mercury-Straße 5.

He has also recently joined Viktoria and Heiner Lauterbach's online course program "Meet your Master" and gives lessons in happiness.

A conversation with Florian Langenscheidt about the question - what else?!

- the happiness.

What is happiness for you?

Florian Langenscheidt:

I would define happiness as these fragile and rather rare moments of feeling at one with the people around you, with your expectations, with your work and with the world around you in general.

In which time seems to stand still or one wishes that it would stand still, and in which somehow everything is just right.

These moments can happen in the subway, in the beer garden, on the mountain - whenever.

With other people, alone, totally different and subjective.

You write that happiness is a decision that anyone can make.

Doesn't that put pressure?

Especially the people who have suffered blows of fate?

Florian Langenscheidt:

I actually have reservations about many of the books that have been published about happiness over the past few years.

That's why it's always important to me to emphasize: Luck isn't the only thing.

Happiness and suffering are closely connected.

We also all know that personality only develops through overcoming negative experiences, crises and severe losses.

And yet I would like to remind you that it is up to me how I feel about the world.

Whether I focus primarily on the dark or on the light.

We tend to externalize everything negative in our lives and say: My terrible partner is to blame for my not being happy.

Or my horrible boss, or my incompetent co-workers, or the weather, or whatever - just not myself

who are at the helm.

who decide whether we focus more on happiness or not.

Happiness guides are in high demand.

A consequence of our prosperity?

Does the freedom to strive for individual happiness increase with it?

Florian Langenscheidt:

Well, at the moment, many people see prosperity as more of a threat.

And then you also notice the connection between money and happiness.

Of course, if I live on citizen income, every ten euros is more important because it means I can cook more spaghetti for my children.

But when the money is there to meet important material needs, the correlation between happiness and money loses a bit.

Happiness doesn't live in a vault.

Material wealth does not make you happy per se, and the most important things in life cannot be bought.

Could inflation also be an opportunity for us to become aware of the value of things again and to realize that being able to buy something valuable like butter at any time is great luck?

Florian Langenscheidt:

Yes, I tend to agree with you there – even if chocolate and salad are more important to me.

I believe one of the most important factors in the ability to be happy is the ability to be grateful.

Despite everything, things are going very well for us in this country.

Acknowledging this with gratitude is incredibly important.

The counter-program to this is envy.

Envy is one of the greatest happiness killers.

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Would we need a school subject called "Happiness" to visualize this?

Even children from less privileged families who may not be able to imagine that their situation can be changed?

Florian Langenscheidt:

The educator Ernst Fritz-Schubert has been pursuing this idea for a long time and has introduced such a subject as small modules in well over 100 schools in German-speaking countries.

Here the pupils learn how important self-confidence is, how important friendship, team orientation, openness and honesty are.

There is already accompanying research on this and it shows that these lessons increase happiness.

I would like it to be rolled out across the board.

Because the question of what really makes you happy in life should be asked at a young age, and not just when choosing a career.

They say: You have to have the courage to be happy.

Florian Langenscheidt:

Courage to be happy and courage to go your own way.

There are many people who already consider it optimistic when they answer the question about their well-being: "Can't complain." I think one should approach life with a little more ambition.

Where did you get the courage to start a business as a young man?

Would you have done that without the name Langenscheidt behind you?

Florian Langenscheidt:

I think so.

To found a company, you need a bit of self-confidence, a lot of perseverance and curiosity - and all of this is more based on the individual character than on the question of which family you come from.

There are many great founders who come from extremely humble backgrounds.

Personally, I have always had this courage.

And always found pleasure in supporting others in their start-ups as a business angel.

Because I've noticed firsthand how happy it can be if you take risks and not the easy way.

This, of course, implies that one can fail.

But when it works, it's an indescribably great feeling to have made a mark on your being and made a contribution to improving the world.

You have to jump over a few hurdles to be really lucky.

Florian Langenscheidt:

Absolutely.

Luck is also an overcoming bonus for having dared to do something or for doing something despite the risk.

An incomparable feeling.

If you just stay in bed all the time, you can't have that feeling.

"It always pays to start and persevere," you write.

That suits the new year.

Do you make resolutions?

Florian Langenscheidt:

Yes, I make resolutions, of course.

Some are the same every year, like doing as many push-ups every day as I am old.

And that I learn a new thing every year.

For this year it's paragliding.

What was it in 2022?

Florian Langenscheidt:

Stand-Up Paddling and Qigong.

And for this year I've also made the resolution that I want to have more time for people who really need me right now.

Here's not just saying, "Oh, I'm sorry" and moving on, but really taking the time to be with the person for a few days and support them.

I intend to.

You seem to be putting your advice into practice quite well yourself.

Florian Langenscheidt:

That's right, I often succeed.

I'm an extremely grateful person.

Sometimes I stand somewhere in nature and shout "Thank you!" to the sky.

Thank you for making my body work, for my family, for my job.

Gratitude can have so many reasons.

You just have to see them.