As the saying goes, finding happiness is 10% the cards you are dealt, and 90% how you play them. Those born into riches often find it challenging to find meaning in their work, and those born into hardship often find it challenging to give up their work to enjoy life. In all, we are really only guaranteed one thing in life; there will be hard days.
But in all of my dealings with the rich, the needy, and everyone in between, I’ve found that happiness is largely affected by one choice: an attitude of complaining, or an attitude of compelling. Our outcomes largely depend on which one of these we choose to do in our moments of struggle:
Complainers:
Focus on what is
Get their energy from the current despair of one person
Believe the current situation will get better if someone else changes
Compare their reality to what is owed to them
Compellers:
Focus on what could be
Get their energy from the potential success of two people together
Believe the situation can get better if they change
Compare their reality to what they want to work for
As employees, employers, spouses, teachers, parents, and friends will all prove over time which choice tend to make. If you choose to be a complainer, consider the effectiveness of that choice, regardless of whatever injustice you have been dealt. If you choose to be a true compeller, you’ve probably already figured out that this is a better outcome for you. But also consider the extra impact if you were to encourage all those around you to do the same.
What are you focused on?
Where do you get your energy?
What do you believe?
What are you comparing this day too?
Cheers,
BW
