Our Global Happiness Committee is made up of some of the world’s most well- known Happiness Evangelists’ who will instil a culture of happiness through their unique and inspiring case studies. They will assist our members in achieving a better work-life balance by providing content that emphasises the value of Emotional Intelligence and Health Awareness, which will result in increased productivity and a happier life.
My career has spanned from being an army officer to running a multinational company. I have worked in big cities, small towns and everywhere across this planet! From reporting on global politics for a news channel or coaching business executives at top levels, my experiences are diverse, and my understanding of people is comparatively deeper.
While working and meeting people from all over the world, two groups, in particular, stood out: those with a smile on their face no matter what life dealt them; and others feeling sad or down-and-out. Being a people person, I closely observed the happy group of people and tried to understand their everyday habits that made this group of people very happy. However, before I talk about these habits, let me briefly talk about happiness?
Happiness is a combination of how satisfied you are with your life and what makes up for it every day. While mood can change drastically in a blink of an eye, happiness’s deeper roots lie within ourselves. Something we may not always have control over but should still pay attention to because they matter when considering why some people experience more joy than others during their days despite any obstacles thrown into their path by fate or circumstance.
Coming back to habits that I observed about happy people, the following are the most common. By embracing these small but positive habits every day, you too can flip the script of your daily life.
State of happiness is an immunity booster. It not helps your mind peaceful and calm but ensures a healthy body. By following few daily habits you can easily change the way you are lining this Life. Wish you all the Happiness.
The 2- Dimensional employee:
Many young, new employees are leaving soon after joining. Often referred to as “infant mortality”, this number is going up. This is only a footnote in the published literature on “Great Resignation” or “Great Reset”.
“I know all the people who have joined in the last two years only in two-dimension, over video calls. How do leaders build trust with employees you have not met in person?” asked the CEO of a technology company.
And yet Leadership has never been more relevant.
Leadership effectiveness impacts retention and innovation both:
Research done by Great Place to Work® in India shows that employees in organizations in the top quartile in leadership effectiveness have more than 20 percent higher intent to stay. (88 percent employees saying they want to stay for a long time, as opposed to only 71 percent in the bottom quartile)
Again, in the top quartile companies, three times more employees experience consistent opportunities for innovation.
Competency Add – but culture fit is still relevant
Employees who believe that management hires people who fit in well into the culture are two times more likely to stay longer in the organization than those who do not. So, while you recruit new employees for their competencies, do not overlook culture fit.
Integrating new employees into the culture of the organization immediately upon joining is equally important.
Hybrid working has improved employee perceptions, not the other way round
Overall, employee perceptions have increased by 6 percent. This is not seen in “normal” years. What is more, areas like management’s reliability, equity, and impartiality – all difficult areas to score high on an employee survey- have gone up by more than 6 percent.
Does this mean that lack of coffee cooler conversations to discuss your boss, promotion received by someone else, or performance appraisal ratings led to an improvement in employee perceptions on lack of favoritism and politicking?
Do not discount the fact that communication has improved during Hybrid working and not deteriorated due to hybrid working. Does this partially explain why scores have gone up in the difficult areas?
The above contradicts the belief that being together in the same office enables higher employee engagement. This would also mean that gig workers in the future who have very limited interaction with most other employees of an organization need not have lower engagement.
Perhaps, the reason why issues related to reliability, equity, and impartiality are no longer such low-scoring areas is that something else is now more important for employees.
Care, Support, and Workplace Experience are now the key differentiators between the best workplaces and the rest
Workplace experience is not about a place anymore, yet it has got better.
In an industry where the bulk of the people are either working from home or are hybrid workers, why are more employees saying it is a fun place to work and people celebrate special events?
The answer lies in what these organizations are doing. To know these answers please wait for the annual research report of Great Place to Work® which will come out in June 2022.
It’s a simple fact: Life only gets better when you work on yourself. And the good news is that you do not need a complete makeover to improve yourself – a few easy practices can go a long way to uplifting your sense of wellbeing and making your life more meaningful.
Here is how you can get started immediately. 15 Self-Development principles to help you become the very best version of yourself
1. Make a to-do list for the next day Before going to bed, plan ahead for the next day. Knowing exactly what waits for you in the future can effectively optimize your time. It will also stop you from having a sleepless night thinking about all you have to do right out of bed.
2. Get Physical It is known science that physical activity improves our mental health by releasing mood-boosting endorphins into the brain you will feel good for doing something beneficial for your body, and your body will reward you back in kind. Even just 20 minutes of physical exercise a day is sufficient to trigger a flood of those feel-good chemicals.
3. Get out of your Comfort Zone Try something new, whether it is taking a different route to work or traveling to a new part of the world, getting out of your comfort zone allows you to be more resilient to change, which boosts your self-confidence.
4. Laugher Yoga Laughing is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself every day. So start your day with Laughter Yoga, and spend time laughing out crazy. You can also re-watch your favorite comedy shows on TV. As William Thackeray said, “A good laugh is sunshine in the house.”
5. Find a Coach The fastest way to improve yourself is to have someone who knows something you don’t and can help guide you towards your goals. It is proven, those who work with coaches report achieving appreciably more (and faster) results than if they had gone it alone.
6. Keep a Journal Writing your thoughts helps you look inside when you write, you are able to see patterns in your life that make you happy or sad, relax or upset. You can then start to better understand your own motivations and desires. In short, a journal is a practical way of learning more about yourself – and when you know yourself, you can improve yourself.
7. Gratitude List Counting your blessings by keeping a daily gratitude list helps you appreciate what you have in life. Being thankful for things that are often overlooked on a daily basis yields countless benefits – numerous studies have revealed that people who are able to cultivate gratitude are more satisfied with their lives in general, and are more mentally and physically healthy.
8. Maintain Connections Strong family and social connections are crucial for a healthy support network. Stay active with supportive family members and friends, also seek out joining a club, class, or support group to meet new people.
9. Learn to say “No” Burnout happens easily, it is essential to spend time on your own well-being. If you don’t feel like going to work, then don’t go. Speak up, if you feel overwhelmed. Self-care is not a sign of being selfish.
10. Pay it Forward By helping others you are not only boosting your mental health, but this also leads to a longer life. Giving is also known to positively influence our self-confidence, self-esteem, and general wellbeing.
11. Stop Complaining Complaining is counter-productive and only makes you feel angry and disappointed. If you have something to grumble about, follow it up with a positive solution that will serve to minimize future complaining
12. Capture the Day As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Finish each day and be done with it.” Today has its own gifts and you need to be 100% present to be open to them. Only then will tomorrow reveal your dreams.
13. Stop Comparing The former American president Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” As we typically compare the worst of ourselves to the best about others, this comparison is unfair for our well-being. You can only control one like – yours, make the most of it.
14. You come First Prioritize, stop putting your needs on the back-burner. Yes, help others; but help yourself first. If there was ever a right moment, that moment is now.
15. Love Yourself Enjoy the Journey. Love yourself, love others, and love this life. It is a gift to unwrap each day, to gaze upon with new and excited eyes. Above all, have fun!
Earlier this year, on the 20th of March, we were informed that it was World Happiness Day. While I’m not much of a fan of such man-made ‘days’, this was a day I welcomed, given the state of affairs that the whole of humanity has been grappling with for more than a year now.
Writing on happiness is tricky. Because it’s subjective. And fleeting. And externally located. In other places & other times, to be arrived at only at a point in the future, by accomplishing this or that.
But let’s try anyway. And also, let’s talk of Joy. . What’s the difference? Well, if happiness is content, Joy is the space in which it comes and goes. If happiness forms, Joy is the essence that holds it. If happiness has a polar opposite in unhappiness, Joy has none. In short, Joy is our natural state of being, often clouded by events & circumstances that we take too seriously as we go about playing life.
As you grow older, you realize that Joy is beyond hedonism or eudemonia. You also realize that Joy is not a mysterious & profound destination, but resides in the holy ordinary.
Let’s get into it, shall we ? Here’s my A-Z on discovering Joy. Written at intermission ( past intermission, actually 😊 ). Some days I chase it & catch it. On other days, it tries to catch me, but fails.
A – Amor Fati. Or love for fate. Meaning, accepting your life situation as is, without labeling it bad or good. Sooner you start believing that whatever happens, happens for a reason & that in the end everything is balanced & part of a Higher order, the better ( Quick fact byte – Cosmos means Order, the opposite of chaos).
B – BE. Yes, it sounds simple, but takes effort. Just BE. We’re called Human Beings for a reason ( instead of Human ‘Doings’).
C – Control & Choice. To paraphrase the Serenity prayer – Let’s have the serenity to accept things we cannot change, the courage to change what we can & the wisdom to know the difference. And yes, trying to control anyone else is a dumb idea & a definite Joy- dampener.
D – Die a little every day. Unless you shed the past, you cannot let Joy breathe. True Joy is the realization that death is not the opposite of life, but it’s the opposite of birth. Birth & death are two repetitive events in the infinite march of Life.
E – Enthusiasm, derived from the Greek word, Entheos, means the God within. How will you find Joy in what you do if you do not let the Dude handle it for you ?
F – Failing & Failure are different things, and not to be confused with each other. You need to fail often to know what works & what sucks. Just do not fail at the same thing too many times. Failing & yet knowing that you’re not a failure, is what Joy is about.
G – Gnothi Seauton. Meaning ‘ know thyself’. This Ancient Greek aphorism is one of the Delphic maxims inscribed in the pronaos of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Happiness is knowing yourself as others know you or getting them to know you as you wish to be known as. Joy is knowing yourself as you are. No more. No less. No apologies.
H – Here ( & Now), is all that you have to experience Joy. The rest of it is either an illusory Past that you peer back at in search of an identity & an imaginary future you look forward to in anticipation of some salvation.
I – Inwards. The most joyous journeys lead home.
J – Jnana. In Sanskrit, it roughly translates as an event that’s understood only when experienced. It is the wisdom that’s attached to the total experience of reality, especially a total or divine reality. In Tibetan Buddhism, this means pure awareness that is ‘free of conceptual encumbrances’. Sounds like the Joy we’re talking about, right ?
K – Karma exists, so I suspect. Even our most secret & innermost thoughts are reported, and accounted for. Keep them clean. Karma & Joy are either the best of friends or worst of enemies. You choose.
L – Let go. Love like a verb ( especially when Love, the noun, is on vacation). Laugh like a child. Listen with all your senses – not to respond, not to understand, but only to listen.
M – Your Mind. Is a very powerful tool. But still, only a tool. Do not turn it into your identity. True Joy is the ability to refer to the Mind when needed, and letting it snooze at all other times.
N – Non-resistance is the way of Joy. More you resist something, more you strengthen it. Let life flow.
O – Om. Atman. The soul within. The Divine Center. Where it all begins, and ends. Be in touch with it often. And you’ll laugh aloud when you see all the drama around, in pursuit of happiness.
P – Perfection is overrated. You were not meant to be perfect. Nobody was. You were just meant to be you. The best version of you. Phew !
Q – Que Sera Sera. Whatever will be, will be. You’re but just a speck of dust on a grain in the palm of infinity. Stop taking yourself so seriously.
R – Reflection. Yes, the orifice through which life unfolds for you, is but only an exact reflection of what you send out. Therefore, you’re actually never experiencing anything externally but your own inner world on the mirror of life.
S – Silence is the language of God , all else is poor translation. Rumi nailed it. Whenever possible, withdraw into your silences. They are always telling you something that leads to Joy.
T – Trust. Always start with trust. At least, if you start with trust and get duped, you won’t be guilty of not having done your bit. Starting with distrust & still getting duped is a double whammy.
U – The Universe is objectivized thought, disguised as matter & circumstances. Choose your thoughts well. Joy will show up. And keep showing up.
V – Vipasaana. Okay, you need not get all nerdy about meditation techniques to unlock Joy in your daily life. Just step behind your monkey mind as often as you can, and catch it as it keeps swinging between past, future, fiction & anticipation. It’s a fun activity. You’ll re-discover the You who you left behind. At misty bends & messy ends.
W – Wu Wei. Taoism defines it as the art of inexertion or inaction. When you need to reach someplace fast, try slowing down. When you need to win at something, stop competing.
X – Xenophobia ( Yayy, I found a word with X !) – is stupid. And a Joy killer. Accept people as they are. To each, his own, her own. Everyone out there is a little messy & a little broken. Just like you. Just like me.
Y – Yesod. According to Jewish Kabbalah, this is the foundation upon which God built the world. While I love the word & plan to read more on it, it reminds me of what we call ‘Chi’ in the east – the energy field that bridges the external reality with the Source within. Joy is the ability to stay connected to that field as often as possible. Not easy, by any means. But worth a try.
Z – Zen. Of course. The state of ‘No-Mind’, or a mind attached to no concept or opinion or emotion. The gaps hold the cage. Ultimately, Joy is being one with the gaps. The cage will come & go.
Self-Motivation will become a Natural State if you are doing something that you truly love, something that you deeply believe in. when you are in this state, you are completely aligned with your true Values, your Thoughts, and your True-Self, your Authenticity, and above all with your Actions. From this place, Self-Motivation is a Natural State of the Art, it comes organically to you; You are constantly in a state of Flow – You are not forcing yourself to do the work: You are simply motivated enough; Doing what you love and loving what you do. It is a reciprocal relationship with work, you don’t feel that you work for a single day. You are just following your intuition, and your inner guidance will lead just right! Now the question is: How about Self- Efficacy? The answer comes within the question, you show your best, when you are internally motivated. All your Talents, Skills, and your Strength Points will be awakened, and so you will become UNSTOPPABLE!
After indulging in spotting your Strength Points, your main interest, or your State of FLOW, your IKIGAI, you simply solve the Equation and reach the intersection of the following 4 questions:
Your Answer to these four questions is exactly your” IKIGAI”. Once you put your hands on; Congratulations! Your Self-Motivation and your Self-Efficacy will interconnect.
What are the 7 Steps to ensure continuous and consistent Self-Motivation; How to keep that Initial Spark (of doing what you love)to get going:
