Why Happiness is a Choice
Imagine for a moment that you are the CEO of a large, successful company. What do you do to keep your employees happy? To ensure employees are actively engaged and invested in your company? How do you retain them? Now, take your imagination one step farther. Imagine that you are a government official. How do you encourage happiness among your constituents? How do you help those you work with attain it in such a demanding job?
Why We Must Choose to Be Happiness
An individual’s happiness can depend on a variety of factors. One author and professor of Psychology, Ed Diener, discovered that happiness depends on five aspects in a person’s life: social relationships, adaptation, society, positive thinking, and money. Additional studies show that more factors can contribute including a person’s health, sleeping habits, family situation, current employment, etc. When one major trial or challenge comes along, or a series of setbacks occur, it becomes easy for an individual to give up, focus on the negative, and blame their depressed and frustrated attitude on their situation. However, we have control over our situations and can still be happy amid these trying times. In fact, approximately 40% of our own happiness is based on our personal choice — it is fully within our grasp.
However, it is important to note that if we want to experience true happiness, we can’t just pretend to be happy. We must invest ourselves in the decision — it must be a conscious decision. Additionally, you should remember that even though hard times come in life and you aren’t happy 100% of the time, that those feelings are normal.
How to Encourage All Levels of Your Organization to Choose Happiness
If you want to encourage happiness among all levels of your business and even your government branch, you must put forth the effort, but also remember that it is a choice individuals must make on their own and nobody can do it for them. Remember what Jim Rohn once said, “Happiness is not by chance, but by choice.”
An excellent way to encourage happiness is by hiring and working with the right individuals. When you are happy, you are more willing to share ideas, develop ideas, work on projects, and be a team player. These individuals also take care of their body, meaning less sick days and more energy to accomplish large tasks and meet looming deadlines.
Furthermore, the happiness of your employees depends greatly on the positive leadership in your government and in your business. As numerous studies show interactions, connections, and relationships impact those around you and meaning experiences and interactions will bring a substantial amount of contentment and joy even amidst stressful, negative circumstances.
While for any successful business or organization to run, there must be business decisions made. Finances and agreements must be established to meet financial obligations. However, time and effort should also be focused on employee’s wellbeing and their overall satisfaction and happiness in their career. When you have employees that are happy and have a positive wellbeing, the entire dynamic in an organization can change. New opportunities and ideas can present itself. A different energy will emerge from the group.
Regardless of a person’s social status or their career, that individual can choose to be happiness. It is a choice that we can each make, every single day. It is creating a stronger focus on our wellbeing. It is loving what you do in life. It is creating meaningful relationships and experiences that will better your life now and in the future.
