Happiness is a difficult concept to define. Everyone experiences happiness and the search for happiness differently. The field of philosophy approaches the concept of ‘happiness’ from a wide range of perspectives. From Aristotle, who described happiness as the greatest design, the ultimate goal of human life and something we can achieve through virtue, to Nietzsche who was of the opinion that happiness cannot be a continuous emotional state, but a short fleeting experience which can end at any point in time. These days, the search for happiness appears to be as urgent as it ever was. Everyone hopes to gain something, or even everything, from the ‘journey to happiness’, not only at a material level, but also at an emotional and spiritual one. Something we, in any event, have in common is that we are all looking for happiness, no matter how that might be defined. So does that make us all fortune hunters? I would like to use this blog to share my journey to happiness with you.
From fortune hunter to fortune maker
The family business
My grandfather was a self-made man in Iran. He grew up in a relatively poor family in the city of Arak. By working hard and having a good eye for business, my grandfather saw an opportunity to start his own steel trading and contracting company. He was a true entrepreneur, but also a much-loved family man. His company benefited from the huge wave of modernisation that Iran underwent in the nineteen seventies and created a great life for many members of his family.
Despite better economic times there was increasing dissatisfaction in Iran with living conditions, as well as growing anger towards the dictatorial regime. This resulted in the revolution of 1978, after which the Shah was deposed. Shortly after the revolution – when peace had returned – my grandfather’s sons took over the business, as was the tradition. With hope and belief in a better future, my father and his two brothers started to expand the company.
I was born in 1988, just before the Gulf War. At that time, my father, grandfather and brothers were building a huge family home in the city, an apartment for our families, with space for grandpas and grandmas. As a result, I grew up on a huge building site surrounded by building materials. It was a fantastic place to grow up and it was then that I realised that I later wanted to go into construction, just like my grandfather, father and uncles!
The Journey to Happiness
Slightly more than a decade after the revolution, Iran was a completely different country. Under the rule of the Islamic Republic, human rights were (and still are being) violated on a large scale. Freedom of expression, freedom of religion, gender equality and a public and independent legal system were practically absent in the new Iran. Life had deteriorated considerably.
Driven by the wish for a better future for our family and generation, my mother decided to flee the country. It was time to leave. We left everything behind to try and find ‘happiness’ in the Netherlands.
Finding happiness
In the Netherlands, my father was unable to engage in his profession as he had done in Iran. That is why he is even more proud that I was given the opportunity to realise my childhood dream. I see how proud he is every time I tell him, at the dinner table, how I am involved in designing all manner of home and work environments and, by doing so, am influencing people’s happiness. That now makes me happy, as does seeing the look on my father’s face when I tell him about my new job as a project developer at Kondor Wessels Vastgoed.
I am happy that I have this opportunity to continue my grandfather’s and father’s profession and, by doing so, am able not only to contribute to my own happiness, but also the happiness of the people who end up living and working in the buildings I helped create!
At KondorWessels Vastgoed, Khashayar will be working on challenging and exciting projects such as De Pier, Kabeldisctrict and Shipdock. If you would like to find out more about these projects, please contact Khashayar via: k.ghiabi@kondorwessels.nl.