Word-Of-the-Week #760: Happy
February 28, 2019 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #760: Happy
Happy – feeling or showing pleasure, joy, or contentment.
How would you rate yourself when it comes to being happy? Is your glass overflowing (or at least half full)? Is your outward demeanor friendly, warm, welcoming?
Another good article “Tips for being happy (even when you’re not) at work and elsewhere,” by Phil Blair, co-founder of Manpower San Diego and author of “Job Won.” He writes, “I enjoy going to events where I’m likely to meet new people. And more often than not, I look for that person who’s standing alone, miserable because they don’t know anyone.
Maybe it’s a holdover from my teen-age years when my father took our family to South America and Africa and I was always the “new kid” in school. I know how it feels to be the “outsider.”
Conversely, when I’m at business functions or social events where I know almost everyone, I make it a point to introduce myself to the few people I don’t know. I’ll share some pleasantries and find out an interesting tidbit or two and then introduce them to others.
Believe me, the relief on their faces is palpable. All of a sudden, they’re more relaxed because they now “know” someone – me – who’s taken an interest in who they are, however short our conversation.
When I do meet someone I haven’t met before, it usually takes less than a minute to decide whether they’re happy in their lives or not. Truth is, I’m not that interested in meeting someone who, despite my best efforts at introducing myself with a smile, remains outwardly unhappy.
In Loving Memory of Our Dixie Doodle!
I’d much rather be around positive, upbeat people, those who see the glass of life at least half-filled instead of running on empty. No matter what’s going on in their personal or professional lives, their outward demeanor is friendly, warm, welcoming.
The people I prefer to be around – and offer career advice to, if sought – are dependably friendly and enthusiastic. They avoid saying negative things about others. They’re capable and confident, but they’re able to laugh at themselves. They don’t take themselves too seriously. They’re able to mask a bad day, or that morning’s silly squabble with a spouse, or that lousy job they can’t wait to leave.
How is that possible, you ask? Take a few sips from this half-filled glass
- Make an effort to be happy. You might think I’m being overly Pollyanna, but I truly believe that happiness is largely a life choice. Same with being unhappy.
- Smile more. Believe it or not, one of the natural effects of smiling is that you will feel happier. Turns out that the very act of smiling stimulates the flow of neural “messages” known as neuropeptides that ward off the ill effects of stress. Try it.
- Stop complaining. Unless you’re able to offer real solutions to real problems, no one wants to hear your complaints. No whining.
- Be friendly. Just as no one likes being around a complainer, no one likes co-workers who are prone to being grumpy or downright rude. No matter if they’re geniuses or not.
This week’s focus is on being happy. How often do you smile? Would your friends, family, and co-workers say that you are positive and upbeat? Can you laugh at yourself and not take things too seriously?
Stay Tuned! More on this next week…
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