In our society, happiness is usually equated to success. A well-paying job, a high GPA, and clinching that summer internship: all these things seem to scream success in our modern society. Yet, they all hold something else in common. They are all associated and characterized by stress, as reaching these sky high goals often seem like an impossible feat.

Could it be possible that we have it backwards?

It seems bizarre to think of a much different world. This place is light years away from midterm season, college tutition bills, and mounds of reading to trudge through for the following day’s classes. In this exciting place, happiness comes first. And with this happiness flows success, an influx of money, free time, and that summer internship you’ve been dreaming of.

You laugh when you hear this. You sit back and do not take me seriously. After all, to be successful, one must be strained, stressed, and put all their time and energy into what they are hoping to accomplish

Wrong.

Emma Seppala is professor at Stanford University, and she is not laughing. As the director at the center for compassion and altruism research and education, she’s campaigning and writing and believing in a future full of more laughter, deep breaths, and meditation classes.

Basically, she knows what she is talking about.

In her book “The Happiness Track” she outlines how to be successful in life, while also being carefree. Her answer seems simple: keep calm and carry on.

And, I believe everyone should follow her sunshiney ways.

Now, the word calm often conjures up spring break vacations of warm sandy beaches, beautiful sunsets, and sipping on cool glasses of lemonade while sunbathing. These images seem counterproductive, often culminating in a sense of laziness or being unmotivated.

But Seppala proves working toward goals with a calm and productive outlook can lead to better outcomes. She points out sometimes, good is good enough . In fact, forcing a perfectionist attitude can create burnout.

Burnout is characterized by mental or physical stress taking a toil on an individual’s health. In fact, Seppala says that 45 percent of doctors are experiencing a sense of burnout in their day to day lives.

Whether we like it or not, many of us have experienced this sense of burnout at some point in our lives. Burnout can result in a monotony and cynicism in day to day life, which can be especially detrimental.

This push to achieve more - and at a faster rate, creates a stressed out population who is not very happy. It frustrates me to live in a morphing world of competition, where each person hopes to hold on to the glittery facade of perfection that isn’t really real.

I don’t think it’s possible to wake up one day and be calm, cool, and collected at all times, and to pretend that competition in life is not real.

But, sometimes I like reminding myself that sometimes it is A-okay to do a whole lot of nothing.

And, its important to take things day by day.

Living for today may be the first step to keeping calm and carrying on. I think Emma Seppala would approve of that.