I am a happy person often accused of wearing rose-colored glasses. I blame it on my mother. She was truly a happy woman. That is not to say we have not known deep sadness in our lives. I want to clarify the realities of hunger, the state of our economy and the welfare of all humanity are not discounted. Yet, when I think of my mother and when people think of me the image of a happy person comes to mind.
Why am I telling you about my “natural” disposition? The answer involves an article my CEO, Kathleen Glattly, emailed to DGK’s employees. Since I received it from my CEO at work, I assumed it was about work performance. You know the articles about emotional intelligence by Daniel Goleman (Leadership – The Power of Emotional Intelligence). I put it to the side to read at the end of the day. WOW! Was I surprised!? It was an article from the Harvard Business Review entitled Positive Intelligence by Shawn Achor (see below for the link). Could my positive, up-beat personality make the grade?
I try to be well rounded. I listen to medical advice both Eastern and Western. As a result, I exercise, try to eat correctly, I meditate, volunteer in my neighborhood, give to charity, look for humor and so on. You would think someone would give me a medal. Believe me, I am no saint. I have been known to scarf a bag of potato chips, the bag that says two (2) servings, in under five (5) minutes, sit for hours upside down on the sofa, unwashed and in jammies reading a book ignoring my husband and dog, which is not easily accomplished. Oh, my list of evils is endless. I believe the good and the bad is what makes me balanced, the mythological Libra.
The article focuses on one’s happiness and the ripple effect happiness has in one’s life. “Most people believe that success precedes happiness. Once I get the promotion I want I will be happy … happiness that results from success is fleeting. Happiness works the other way around: People who cultivate a positive mind-set perform better in the face of challenge.”
When I was 10 years old, my mother over heard me saying, “I always get what I want.” She was appalled! She was also furious and gave me a long uninterrupted loud speech about bragging, being spoiled and what kind of arrogant insensitive daughter was she raising. I remember the incident well. Once she winded down I got a chance though a very small window to explain; I get what I want because if I do not get what I want, I change what I want. She understood it was my way of dealing with disappointment and still satisfied with what I got, a positive outlook spun on the wheels of any negative situation.
Corporations have capitalized on the happiness factor. The article sets forth a plan to assist in “the pursuit of happiness” as put forth in the US Declaration of Independence as one of the unalienable rights. The plan, which began as an experiment at KPMG, is a choice of one out of five (5) activities to perform on a daily basis. I do all five (5) as my challenge to see if I really am a positive happy person. It did not say I had to be uncompetitive to be happy. It is a challenge. The experiment at KPMG in NY was successful. Completing one quick exercise (of their choice) a day for three weeks, the group had higher scores on life satisfaction and optimism which resulted in higher productivity to the company, a win-win for all.
The magic is the activities help you examine your day and focus your attention to the positive portions either in reflection or in action. I could be suspicious of the corporation’s manipulation of my happiness for their pure greed. I choose to focus on the great article I received at work which is intended to help me become a happier person. What will you choose on your road to happiness?
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