My formula for happiness can be scary for some people who care about what others think of them. But it's simple.

Here it is: Never compromise with your reality or your integrity.

So what does that mean?

It means no matter what you do, don't compromise it. It doesn’t matter what comes into your life, don't compromise.

For instance, if you know you should or shouldn't do something, stick to it. Don't compromise with what you know to be right.

Let me tell you a story about how I came to discover this formula.

I was having dinner with a friend, an intelligent and successful investment banker. He told me, “You know what I admire about you, Vick? You are unapologetic about who you are.”

He said he was trying to do the same, and implement this way of thinking and behaving in his own life. He told me how he was starting to become unapologetic for who he is.

But this way of living came about three years ago for me, when I made the decision to be myself.

I decided to not sugarcoat anything, tip-toe around certain situations, or do things for someone that I didn't feel like doing.

So when I decided to be unapologetic, about who I was, that's what created a lot of happiness for me.

It doesn’t start with this philosophy of gratitude–as common as that is these days.

How do you walk around being grateful all day long? The formula of happiness starts with being unapologetic about who you are. It's deciding to be comfortable with yourself, knowing who you are, and being proud of who you are.

If you’ve seen any of my videos, you see how I talk and explain things. I talk and explain things the way I do because I'm not trying to be somebody else.

When I go to parties or events or when I’m around people, I don't change who I am--I be myself.

If you don’t like me, that's cool, don't be my friend, don't follow me.

Deciding to be myself and not having to apologize for it, brings me the most happiness because I get to be me.

You should try it. It brings a sense of freedom a lot of people keep themselves from. In a sense, you’re your own executioner.

When you do something that goes against what you believe, you’re going to punish yourself for it.

If you are not the best possible friend, the best possible husband,  the best CEO or entrepreneur that you can be, you'll know it. And nobody else needs to point it out.

When my friend told me the story, I never thought about it in the sense of being unapologetic and what it’s done for me. But he is right.

Being unapologetic about who I am has done wonders for me. I dress how I want, I am who I want, and it give me true freedom.

If you don't like it, it's okay. We don't have to try to please everybody.

This is a trap too many people fall into. They design their life to try and please others. Believe me, it is a trap that leads to misery

And being unapologetic doesn’t mean being rude. That’s not what it means to be unapologetic.

You still have to have manners, be courteous, open doors for people, and be kind.

Unapologetic doesn't mean a lack of manners. It means that you're a person that has integrity with yourself.

You have an agreement with yourself to not dance like a puppet, or act differently because you’re around someone else.

There's a lot of power in that and it's an excellent quality to find in people.

When someone has the ability to be unapologetic about who they are, with their ideas, beliefs, and their viewpoints, it makes them stand out.

And if you don't like them, it's okay, there’s 8 billion people on the planet, you can find someone else.

At the end of the day being unapologetic has brought me the most happiness.

When I get up in the morning, and I go to work, I love feeling happy that I've decided to be a friend to myself.

I don't need anybody else to make me happy, and that's the best gift that you can give yourself.

Be who you are, accept it, and be unapologetic about it.