Do you know someone that is happy all the time?
It can be a little annoying. Well, actually you probably like spending time with this person. They’re encouraging. They seem to notice the little positive things all around them.
They can certainly acknowledge that there are negative things in the world. On both large and small scales and everything in between. But they seem to be balanced and understand that it’s okay to be happy and to experience joy.
When it comes to work, being happy and joyful can go a long way. Not just for when we’re at work, but for our overall well being.
Here are some thoughts on finding joy with your work…
1. Your experience is not necessarily others’ experience
My daughter is four years old and the other night she saw a firefly for the first time. I thought it was pretty neat. But obviously I had seen them a few times in my life. She loved it. She was so enthusiastic and joyful.
Sometimes we hold our joy back thinking others may not approve or think we’re weird and things like that. But we all experience life differently and at different paces. What’s old hat for someone else may be really joyful for you.
There are all kinds of situations like this. Especially at work. If you think something is awesome, embrace it. You may even remind a few of your coworkers what the feeling is like.
2. It’s okay to acknowledge grief and still find joy
Your coworkers have lives. They have ups and downs. It’s important that you are there to support them if they seek you out and it’s appropriate and they’re not dragging you down past the point of health or anything like that.
But their grief doesn’t necessarily need to be your grief. You can acknowledge that there is negative in the world. You don’t want to be bouncy and joyful if the situation doesn’t call for it. But you can’t know everyone’s situation.
It’s good to default to joy. Others are often lifted up, even if they’re going through something difficult.
3. Fear of losing something good
Maybe you love your job. But you don’t want to experience the joy of it too deeply because you feel that you may lose it at some point. And then you’ll experience very deep grief as a result of losing something you love so much.
Some people struggle with this in terms of relationships. They don’t want to get hurt. And that’s understandable.
But at some point it becomes unhealthy to avoid potential joy. If you think you’re in this situation then it might be time to see if the outlook is doing more harm than good.
Final Thoughts
Feeling joy is good. It makes us feel good. It helps our overall health. It can lift others up that we work with. You can find joy in just about any situation. Be the one that brings joy to your work. Obviously there are situations where it’s not healthy and you should look for alternatives. But try to find the joy. Look for a few of the common trappings listed here that might be holding you back.