Finding Joy in Work and Life
Ever more leaders and employees today seek more than just survival in their professional lives; they aim for meaningful experiences of working on things that make a positive impact on themselves, others, and the world. This involves engaging in work that resonates with their values, passions, and objectives.
Their presence at the organization is a daily voluntary decision. This is worth remembering whenever work feels like a burden and lacks joy. It's both essential and possible to consider making changes when work stops being enjoyable. Challenging moments and tasks are part of any job, but approaching them with a positive attitude makes them feel less daunting and more rewarding.
Joy vs. Happiness: Understanding the Difference
Joy is a deep-seated emotion that many people experience but often confuse with happiness.
Unlike happiness, joy is not just a temporary feeling but a more profound state that can positively affect our physical and mental health. Joy arises from within, characterized by lasting feelings of contentment and inner peace, while happiness is typically triggered by specific events and is marked by intense pleasure and satisfaction.
Embracing joy involves a conscious choice to tap into this powerful, life-enriching emotion, transforming one's outlook on their lifestyle and way of working.
"Happiness is like rising bubbles — delightful and inevitably fleeting.
Joy is the oxygen — ever present."
Signals of a Joyful Lifestyle
You live your life with integrity.
You've embraced living in the moment.
You express gratitude regularly.
Your work satisfies you.
You enjoy harmonious relationships.
You keep your inner critic on mute.
You aren't afraid of change.
You enjoy the simple things.
You give back.
You don’t take life too seriously.
"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life."
The Bridge of Joy: Strategies for Transitioning Towards Joyful Work
The efficient path from the initial concept to the ultimate goal in any business initiative involves what can be termed the "Bridge of Joy." Establishing joy as a foundational emotional state at work leads to several practical benefits:
It increases confidence and satisfaction by allowing employees to feel like they have already achieved the goal, helping them distinguish between actions that align with desired outcomes and those that do not.
More creative energy is directed towards achieving the goal, rather than drained for coping with negative-frequency aspects described earlier.
With more attention and focus available, creative challenges are detected earlier on.
It enables objective evaluation of failures, facilitating an understanding of mistakes and lessons learned without self or mutual judgment or recrimination.
Cost-Effective Prevention over Intervention
While constant bursting with joy is unrealistic, maintaining a proactive stance against descending into negativity is achievable to everyone. This involves choosing not to engage in low-frequency behaviors. Recognizing when certain situations trigger negative frequencies in thoughts or emotions is crucial; they can diminish creativity, increase stress, break the productive flow and disrupt balance.
By identifying these moments, individuals can avoid falling from the Bridge of Joy. And even if they fall, they know it’s crucial to get back up as soon as possible.
Otherwise, individuals might still reach goals through the negative, low-frequency path, but it's often a Pyrrhic victory. The emotional wounds and relational costs can leave them feeling exhausted and demotivated, questioning the worth of their achievements while they sit in a proverbial Ferrari and cry.
Low-frequency ways of working are not healthy and supportive of our lifestyles. They represent an energy drainer that can extend its negative influence onto all other life roles. The presence of joy in our relationship to work is therefore a cornerstone of a balanced lifestyle.
Reclaiming Joy Through Mindset and Gratitude
The journey to experiencing joy often involves altering our perspective. Our ego can sometimes lead us to feel fear and insecurity, making us try to control things beyond our control.
By allowing ourselves to relax, we can create an environment conducive to joy and laughter. Changing our perspective can be quick and straightforward. When we encounter challenges, rather than asking "why is this happening to me?", we can ask "what lesson am I learning?".
This shifts our focus from victimhood to growth. Additionally, asking ourselves "How can it get even better than this?" helps concentrate on the positives, enhancing our mood and investing attention towards desired outcomes.
"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are."
Have To vs Want To
Our language can be indicative of our level of joy. Frequently saying we “have to” do something signals obligation and reluctance, which can lead to stress and a sense of burden. This perspective requires more energy and motivation to complete tasks.
Upon examining our "have to's," we might discover they're actually voluntary choices. Consequently, it's beneficial to rephrase these thoughts from "have to" to "want to," which can increase our engagement and eagerness. Adopting this mindset can lead to a more positive approach to our actions.
Cultivating Gratitude to Protect Joy
Gratitude is one of the most powerful feelings that protect our overall well-being, satisfaction, and self-esteem.
Appreciating what we already have shields us from feelings of inadequacy and negativity imposed by others. There's always something to be grateful for, and focusing on gratitude aligns us with a greater vision of life. The principle, often referred to as the law of attraction, is clear: what we concentrate on expands in our experiences.
By choosing to focus on joy and sharing it with others, more joy will come our way. Attention given to attributes like love, truth, beauty, intelligence, and harmony will allow these qualities to grow in our lives.
This gradual process, akin to assembling a mosaic, ultimately forms a picture of grace that supersedes the limiting images constructed by the hurt ego.
"The root of joy is gratefulness."
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