Is your company right for you?

I met with a friend for coffee this morning who recently decided (yes, in this economy) that he needed to walk away from his job. The best part about it, he seemed so happy and at peace with himself. What had happened is that his company's values no longer aligned with his. He was strong enough to walk away. Why? Because he realized one BIG fact, it's just a job. As he put it "It's not what my life is all about, it's not what brings me happiness and it's certainly not what I want to be remembered for". There are so many times I see people who are so miserable at work, and mostly it's because of the people or culture they work with but they feel paraluzed and feel they can't do anything about it. There is one thing for sure, it is much harder to change a culture than change your situation. One of the most important attributes in being happy at work is "fitting" in with the company's values, vision and mission. If you don't, I would encourage you (not necessarily to quit your job - although that is sometimes my recommendation) to fina a company that is more of a fit for you! Would love any comments of folks who have been in this same situation and what you did! Enjoy your day!

Bury the Hatchet & Move On!

Have you ever felt that nagging feeling of "unknown sadness". A feeling that something is not right in your life. If you think hard enough, one of the reasons could be a relationship that has gone bad with either a colleague or someone important in your life. If that is the case, I am urging you to (this weekend) make peace with that person. That "unknown sadness" is robbing you of true happiness that you could be enjoying with the people you love to be around! It could also be affecting your work and your current (good!) relationships! It's amazing what your "mood" convey's when your mind is pre-occupied with a feeling of hate or sweet revenge you are contemplating for that "special" someone that you have disengaged from. You don't have to be "best friends" but call it a truce. That "freeing" sensation will help you more than you know! Enjoy your weekend!

Wha Happened?

Have you ever been in a situation at work where you are so blown away by someone's actions that you look around and scream "WHA HAPPENED?". This was a regular occasion at one of my past jobs. Either my boss would say something so ridiculous or a colleague would behave so poorly that I wondered how that person could look in the mirror every day. People disappoint. People can be negative. People can be manipulative. People can lie. People can have no values at all. And these people can work right along side of you and make your job miserable. Research says people don't leave their company, they leave their boss! I have seen many also leave because of the culture around them and the way people behave. Have you experienced this? Please comment on this blog if it is and what you have done about it. If you find yourself in this situation, here are a few tips to get by.

1- Always take the high road, don't bring yourself down to their level - act with integrity at all times
2- Master your stories, stick with the facts, don't let fiction get in your way
3 - Deal with any conflict head on - with either your colleague or boss - see what you can do to move beyond it
4 - Hang with a gang that gets it - sometimes you have no control over the people you work with, but you do have control over who you hang with. Don't get caught with "guilt by association" and hang with those whose reputation you would not want!
5- If all else fails, leave. It's hard to change the people (and culture) you are working with. If it's not a good fit, find something that is...

Don't ever let someone else steal your happiness away!

Enjoy your day!!

Perfect Recipe for Happiness!

If I could make the perfect recipe for happiness what would be the ingredients?

Understand what happiness means to you – go after it
Understand what “having it all” means to you & make it happen
Set happiness goals and work to achieve them
Focus on the good – and be grateful
Help others
Stay positive..Change your attitude…Glass if half full
Surround yourself with positive people
Do More of the things that make you happiest
Stop the negative thoughts - Master your own stories (Deal with the facts not fiction!)
Lead by example – create a reputation of being happy and people will want to be around you
And finally….Live every day like it’s your last

Book Signing EVENTS!

Hello all....Just to let you know that a few book signing events have been scheduled.

March 18th - Barnes and Noble - Polaris 7-8 pm

March 25th - Wyandotte Winery - (RSVP) 7pm

Hope to see you all!!!

Powered by Happy - Interview - Check it out

Hey everyone!

Check out my first interview on my book, Powered by Happy last fall at the Learning 2009 conference in Orlando, Florida. This was a quick impromtu interview from the host (and my dear friend) Elliott Masie, founder of the Masie Center and Owner of the Learning conference.

http://www.learningwiki.com/beththomas

Enjoy...