Choose to be Happy At Work

Choose to be Happy at Work Look around you. How many of your colleagues smile or laugh at work? You must remember that work is a serious thing. It is in fact the most serious thing in a lot of people’s lives. They don’t like it either.

I do. I have made a point to love work. I must do it if I want to live a decent life. I accept that it is imposed on me by society. My view is that if I must do it, I might as well enjoy it. So, I do. I always tried to love my job. It makes me happy. I smile and I laugh. I crack jokes and I use humour a lot in the workplace. Some of it a bit brutal and close to the bone I must admit but all in the right spirit. I choose happiness. This is one of my 25 leadership principles.

Sometimes it gets hard and dark like all things in life. It becomes difficult to choose to be happy when under stress but hold on to the thought that this is a short-term blip and sunshine will return.

The trickiest thing is when the dark clouds will not shift and there is no prospect of the happy spring. Then it is time to choose happiness. Leave that job and find a new one. One that will make you happy. Most of the time there are lots of jobs out there. Go, find a better one. Don’t become a slave to the darkness. If you get out of bed and don’t want to go to work for an extended period (a couple of months) then vote with those feet to get that smile back. I have left three organisations as I no longer enjoyed the job and could see no way of getting back to that happiness. I voted with my feet to find a happier place. Usually, about six months after I should have done.

Also, remember that happiness is infectious. Remember it’s the shadow we cast!

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