Jobs can be stressful, life is full of challenges, family can cause you heartache, but how you handle that on a day to day basis is up to you. A very wise man told me early in my career that Happiness is a choice. How you go about living your day-to-day life, whether at work or at home, you get to choose if you’re happy or not. It sounds like a simple concept, but it takes work.
I’ve worked with candidates and co-workers for many years (more than I care to list here) and I’ve seen situations where people have chosen to be unhappy at work. “No one tells me anything. No one asked my opinion. I don’t know what the plan is.” I’ve heard this refrain over the years and it made me realize these people had chosen to be unhappy. They were moving the issue onto other people and were not taking any responsibility for themselves. My response was “Did you go ask what the plan is? Did you offer your opinion? Did you share your thoughts and feedback without being asked?” You are allowed, even encouraged, to show interest and want to share thoughts and ideas. You are allowed to ask questions to hear what’s happening, what the game plan is and what the future holds.
Thinking differently about your work environment and reaction to what is happening around you is a challenge for many people. It’s hard to see things differently. If you can shake off what may be dragging you down and look at things with a new mindset, you should be able to find a way to re-engage positively with your work environment.
Having a more positive viewpoint at work will be noticed and recognized. Your boss may offer you more opportunity, your co-workers may automatically include your more regularly and you will likely feel better at the end of the work day.
The song and video “Happy” by Pharrell Williams immediately brings a smile to my face and as I’ve learned the words, I’ve found they resonate for me on this topic. “Clap your hands if you know what happiness means to you”. For me, Happiness is that choice I make and work on every day. And the smart man who taught me this lesson is none other than our CEO, Bob Davis. Thanks Bob!
