Word Of the Week #549: Celebrate
February 12, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word Of the Week #549: Celebrate
Celebrate – to observe an occasion with appropriate ceremony or festivity.
When was the last time you celebrated something? What festivities did you engage in this week? How about the last month?
Today is my birthday so I am celebrating and taking the day off. This week’s WOW is a rerun (from over two years ago) from one of my long time speaker friends Scott Friedman who lives in Colorado.
“The movie theatre shootings in Aurora, Colorado this past week remind us how fragile life really is. How do we deal with such a tragedy?
We celebrate life’s many blessings every chance we get. We live more vibrantly, more intentionally, more lovingly. We practice random acts of kindness and beauty.
We play harder and longer. We give more hugs. We don’t wait to say, “thank you”, “I love you” or “I truly care.”
We dine with gratitude, we listen to music with greater appreciation, and we live with compassion. We take greater pride in our communities, countries, and citizens!
We recognize that the quality of life is determined by the quality of our relationships so we cherish those in our lives and remember never to take them for granted. As Luciano de Crescenzo said, “We are all angels but with only one wing, and only by embracing each other, we fly! Let’s fly higher and more united than ever before! Let’s celebrate life!”
This week’s focus is on celebrating. How is your quality of life? When was the last time you practiced a random act of kindness? Who needs a big hug from you? Are you living more vibrantly, more intentionally, more lovingly?
And I am spending my special day celebrating with the love of my life and having FUN!
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Word Of the Week #548: Happiness
February 6, 2015 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word Of the Week #548: Happiness
Happiness: a state of well being; ranging from contentment to deep intense joy in living.
How happy are you in your current job? Do you feel you work in a loving and caring environment? How would your employees answer those questions?
This week’s WOW comes from the UT Business section titled, “Investing in happiness a profitable pursuit.” I’m There for You, Baby is a weekly column written by Barbara Bry & Neil Senturia.
One January 5th they wrote, “First column, 2015. No Predictions.
Instead we are going to discuss happiness – happiness in the workplace. Now tell the truth, you’re happy at work, aren’t you? Well, finding out how you feel is a big business. 80% of firms have conducted a survey to gauge how employees are feeling. And what used to be an annual survey is now much more frequent. Called “pulse surveys,” companies send out one to two questions multiple times a year.
The “big idea” behind the surveys is to mine data, to know what it takes to increase productivity etc., and of course, the single most important driver is – happiness. Dr. Aymee Coget has a Ph.D. in happiness and shows companies how to achieve more of it. She teaches empowerment, positive mood, resiliency, contentment, and bliss.
Coget has real statistics: 3 out of 4doctor visits are stress related, 25% of Americans struggle with mental challenges, 8% of the country is depressed, and American companies spend $24 billion per year on depression disability. Research has confirmed that salary is not an indicator of happiness, but it is also not just about vacations or lunches. To create long-term employee happiness, change must occur at the organizational level. So that means assessing an employee’s strengths and showing them why they are a valued part of the company.
The Harvard Business Review article “Employees Who Feel Love Perform Better” states that employees who work in a loving, caring culture report higher levels of satisfaction and teamwork – in other words, they are happier. All the studies show that there is a clear correlation between positive feelings and successful outcomes.
Of course at the end of the day, it is each person’s individual responsibility to search for their own happiness – it cannot be mandated, but it seems it can be “encouraged and taught.”
This week’s focus is on happiness. What are doing that fosters a culture of love and caring at work? Have you ever surveyed your staff to gauge how they are feeling? Are you currently assessing employee strengths and showing them why they are a valued part of your company?
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