Work your way to happiness

Work your way to happiness

I read something recently that reminded me of a question I'm often asked about the relationship between work and happiness. 

For many people, too many I believe, work and happiness and separate and discrete entities. 

Work is something that takes up most of the time between Monday and Friday, 9.00 am to 5.00 pm (or therabouts). Whereas happiness is something that starts on Friday evening and goes through to Sunday afternoon (at which point in time the Monday blues kick in ready for the next morning). 

To me, this is nothing but sad!

Now I know that not everyone will be lucky enough to be able to pursue their passions and work in their dream job. But many, many more of us could find ways to enjoy and find happiness in atleast some of that work time becaue if we stop and reflect, we might come to realise that work is, in fact, a great source of pleasure and, dare I say it, happiness. 

How and why? 

Well work provides…

  • structure

  • social interaction

  • opportunities for achievement and accomplishment

  • a chance to utilise our strengths

  • meaning and purpoes and a way to contribute

  • and, if we're lucky or if we make it so, so much more

So don't separate your work and happiness (that effectively means wasting a substantial proportion of your waking life); look for opportunities to enjoy work and to contribute and to achieve and to find satisfaction each and every day. If you do, you won't just enjoy more happiness yourself; you will; but you'll also boost the happiness of those around you!

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