30 Nov Happiness and positivity in your work/career
Do you let negativity rule your work? Would you like more positivity and happiness in your career? If so, read on and enjoy this short article from The Happiness Institute’s free eNewsletter that went out this morning…
by Margaret Meloni (www.margaretmeloni.com)
Why is it that many of us let the few negative words from our past taint our experiences moving forward? Why do we let the bad push away the good?I am thinking specifically of how this happens to us when we are faced with a new opportunity, specifically a career opportunity.
The scenario goes something like this, you prepare for and interview for a new position. You are a bit nervous, but you do know that you are qualified. You do know that you are absolutely the right person for this position. The interview goes beautifully and within a week you are offered the job. You gleefully accept.
All of a sudden, out of nowhere in creeps self doubt. All of a sudden you remember that one bad review you had five years ago. Or the way off base assessment you received from a peer.You start thinking crazy thoughts like, _ã–What if I mess this up?_ã What if I can_ã_t do the job?_ã Basically you are thinking,_ã What if I am not good enough?_ã_
Why would someone hire you if you were unqualified, not good enough or likely to screw things up? Seriously, who would do that? Of course you are the right one for the job and of course you are qualified.
Change can trigger uncertainty and uncertainty triggers insecurity. This paves the way for those old negative thoughts. Stop this as soon as it starts. Don_ã_t beat yourself up for allowing a negative thought to come into your mind; don_ã_t be angry with yourself for being human. Acknowledge that a negative thought has crossed your mind and then let it go. If you meditate you might recognize this approach, it is often called labeling your thoughts. When you meditate you learn to allow your thoughts to come and go. You observe your thoughts and you label them. This thought is negative, this thought is neutral and oh here this is a positive thought. This technique works well outside of meditation too.
Sometimes just acknowledging a thought or feeling as negative is enough. Other times you might want a little more help. You can prepare for this. Save compliments that customers and co-workers send to you. Keep the reviews that have made you proud. Save announcements from when you have been promoted or added to the team or thanked for your hard work. Use these items to push back those negative thoughts. Perhaps you can even call someone who has worked with you and seen you at your best. Speaking with someone who knows how good you are can be very restorative.
Keep at it and you will discover that you will experience fewer and fewer negative thoughts; you will in fact let positivity and happiness win!
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