Happy As You Decide to Be

Happy As You Decide to Be
Abraham Lincoln once said, "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." There is no truer statement than this one and we all witness living examples of it every day. In the business setting, I've observed individuals losing a big sale, making a tough staffing decision, or facing financial disaster, yet choosing to joke, laugh, and keep a light-hearted perspective while solving the problem. On the other hand, I've witnessed the person who has just received a raise and is part of an organization that is growing and changing in a positive direction, who still chooses to be sour-faced bitter, and constantly complaining. The only thing these two types of people have in common is that they both have chosen to respond positively or to react negatively. Happy or sad? What do you choose? Laughter or tears?

Observe your state-of mind-habits. For most people, they have practiced being positive or negative so long that it has become a habit to respond consistently in a positive or negative way. If you need to change your habits, start today by becoming aware of how you respond to situations.
Take yourself lightly and your situation seriously. Having a lighthearted perspective and a good sense of humor doesn't mean burying your head in the sand. You can see a bad situation as it really is and still have a great attitude, flowing through difficulty instead of crumbling under it.

Learn the difference between positive and negative humor. We recommend using humor to deal with the absurdities of life only if it is used in a positive way. If your humor becomes sarcastic, places blame, laughs only at others, increases tension, injures someone else's self-worth, or excludes others from the enjoyment, try getting exactly the opposite results.

Remove yourself from the center of the universe. If you usually feel like everything is in some way your fault or nothing is ever your fault, it's time to look at life's events a little more realistically. When your reaction to difficulty is always, "If I had only done more, or better, or worked harder . . ." ease up and put things back into perspective. On the others side of the coin, if everything is always "their" fault, then you're going to have to wait for "them" to change. I don't know about you, but changing people isn't something I'm very good at. Remember, fault finding is a waste of time. Control your perspective.
Realize the degree of happiness we experience is often reflected in our lifestyles. I have often observed a correlation between alcohol, cigarette smoking, lack of physical exercise, and incorrect diet with a depressed state of mind. When we are in control of our lifestyle and the habits that affect that lifestyle, it is only natural that a more positive self- image producing a more free-spirited state of mind will result.

If you believe happiness is a choice we all have a right to make, then why not make that choice today? Control your state of mind, keep a humorous perspective, and be happy.
- Jim Paluch

Get Serious About Silliness

Do you ever allow yourself the luxury of letting go of inhibitions and giving in to moments of pure, unadulterated silliness? To children, silliness is a way of life, to laugh at the littlest thing or perform a goofy act or statement over and over again, feeding the uncontrolled giggling of another. Some time around the age of twelve, however, we become acutely aware of ourselves and begin to associate silliness with being stupid or foolish. Adults reinforce this perception by upholding the serious example in their own lives and throwing in quick reminders along the way: "Wipe that silly smile off your face." "Would you grow up!" "Stop laughing and get serious here." As we "mature," our fear of embarrassment, foolishness and failure makes it easier to actually avoid silly situations and to get serious about life.
Interestingly, the original meaning of the word silly is to be blessed, happy, prosperous and healthy and it was only man's fear of embarrassment over the years that has added the negative connotation to silliness.:
Remember, stupid means being ignorant or uneducated and doing things because you don't know any better. Choosing the appropriate time and place to be playful and fun is not stupid but silly and a key factor to a happy, prosperous, healthy way of life. In this uptight, get-it-done, fast-paced world we are living in, it's time to get serious about silliness and begin to reap the benefits.

Fun at Work

Using humor and fun at work not only involves outrageous, memorable events on an occasional basis but, more commonly, it consists of frequent little instances of fun and frivolity. Companies that are known for their creative and enjoyable atmosphere are those that figuratively say, "We take ourselves lightly and our work seriously." Those organizations that have learned to incorporate fun into the workplace and benefit with more creative, productive, and cooperative employees are faced with the same challenges and struggles as everyone else. It is their ability to look at the lighter side of business and use simple, silly ways to relieve the everyday stress, that makes the difference. No one's objective is to spend all day in fun and games, distracted from the work at hand, but when you can create an environment that is comfortable, one that welcomes free-flowing expression and acknowledges the human element of fun, then you will have a work setting that brings out the best in everyone. Along with planning energizing meetings, fun rewards, and group activities, remember, it's often the silly little things that nurture the feeling that "This is a great place to work."

If you want to learn more about the power of PEOPLE SOLUTIONS THAT DRIVE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE, contact:
JP Horizons Inc.
P. O. Box 2039
Painesville, OH 44077
Phone: (440) 352-8211
Fax: (800) 715-8326
e-mail: jim@jphorizons.com
web site: www.jphorizons.com