I
haven’t been happy at work lately and it’s really put me in a funk. But then
somehow, something shifted for me. I
remembered something sort of Zen a former boss of mine once said to the effect
of, “It’s the same day whether you choose to be happy about it or not.”
This
sentiment has been expressed over and over throughout time (see some of the quotes
below): That all that we humans have control over are our attitudes, not our
circumstances; That a positive outlook does more for us than worldly goods,
money, or status. The sentiment is especially poignant for me when expressed by
Victor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and author of Man’s Search for Meaning. He said, "The last of the human
freedoms is to choose your attitude in any given set of
circumstances." I sincerely hope my circumstances, and those of the
people I love, are never as dire as those he found himself in. So, in my far
less dismal circumstances, I can certainly be guided by this belief. I can
choose my attitude.
So,
what have I chosen to do in my current situation? I’ve decided to focus on what
I loved about my job for the first year before things took a turn for the
worse; I’ve decided to really be a stickler about only working the 30-hour week
I was hired for and take those extra 10 hours to do things that do make me
happy; I’ve decided to work more on a coaching app I am thinking of developing; and I've decided to keep my eyes open for ways to be happier at work.
It’s
the same day, regardless of how you choose to respond to it. I hope you respond
in a way that brings you fulfillment and joy. That’s your coaching exercise for
this post.
Best,
~
Sophie
QUOTES
I LIKE RIGHT NOW
"The
greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our
circumstances." ~ Martha
Washington
"We awaken in others the same
attitude of mind we hold toward them." ~ Elbert Hubbard
“Happiness
is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The
amount of work is the same.” ~ Francesca
Reigler
“If
you can't change your fate, change your attitude.” ~ Amy Tan
“I take nothing for granted. I now have only good days, or great days.” ~ Lance Armstrong
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” ~ Oscar Wilde
“I take nothing for granted. I now have only good days, or great days.” ~ Lance Armstrong
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” ~ Oscar Wilde
