I have been working to choose to think positively at work starting mid-last week. It seems like a simple concept, and it is. It always surprises me when I motivate to change my thinking, how much better I feel. Happiness is relative, and you can only do so much to squeeze happiness out of your situation, as if it even comes from you.
Thinking positively certainly brings more contentment, and I know it makes those around more happy when they see not the brooding self we can portray when submerged in the mire of workplace drama and inefficiencies. That is what it is, and it's not going to change. We can only make the best of it, and be the best we can be within our realm of influence. ['we' is used in the proverbial wenessense]
Anyone with me? Any tips? How we think is a choice, yeah?
cheers,
grk
7 comments:
im with you. i have made a concerted effort to stop complaining (as much, anyway). it is so easy to slip back into that whine & moan mode but i think making some kind of effort must be worth something right?
i've especially tried to stop complaining since alex moved to dc mostly b/c it really eats up our phone time when we could be talking about other things! long distance relationship=good motivation!
Kolsto, I enjoy the blog, but don't leave comments. This one stood out though.
An interesting note: Your body goes through the same physiological processes when you smile and aren't happy as it does when you are actually happy. Therefore, smiling goes a long way toward making you feel happy.
A more valuable note: Not thinking about your own happiness is the best way to be happy.
Sharon Hodde talks about this on She Worships blog:
Preoccupation with self; putting self so central that it supplants the rightful place of God, is the fast track to discontent. We need a system of beliefs that pries our focus off of ourselves and places our sights back on Christ. Therein lies true freedom and happiness–we will no longer be in bondage to our own shortcomings and fears because we’ll be so blissfully distracted from them by God.
A valuable reminder.
Be well,
Blake
Whenever I get upset or frustrated on the job... I just sing this little tune in my head and it turns my mood right around: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04QoA44c23A
This particular song sometimes comes to mind, shining out like a shaft of gold when all around is dark ("your majesty is like a stream of bat's p...it was one of Wilde's!").
Bertie Wooster Sings "Sunny Disposish"
Also nothing beats "47 Ginger Headed Sailors"...its all the rage at the Drones at the moment!
On the note of choosing happiness, listen to this:
http://htod.cdncon.com/o2/rzimht/MP3/JT/JTCD139-1.mp3
About 7 and-a-half minutes in there is some interesting commentary on choosing such a thing.
-Guy
It's true and we do need to be re-reminded of this. I actually have this written on my keyboard "The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts.", and nearby I have this quote from my yoga instructor "Change your breath and you change your thoughts; change your thoughts and you change your life". I still screw up on this often, but when I can remind myself of it and get in a different mindset... life really is better!
Take care (hey, still want you to do a print for us on tshirts...)
Emily
I agree with Blake- if we focus on our hown happiness we're probably looking at the wrong thing and ultimately won't find it. I tend to view my sense of happiness as a guage, sort of like the temperature guage on a car. My perceived happiness is just a reflection of being content (or not) and focused on the Lord. Check out what Proverbs says about being happy:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=happy&t=KJV&cscs=Proverbs&sf=4
Also John 13:14-17 is about that as well. It's funny how much time and effort we can waste trying to "be happy" instead of letting contentment and joy come to us by focusing on the Lord and obeying Him.
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