The Fairytale Of Happiness
EVER HEARD of Hans Christian Andersen? The celebrated author of fantasy recently celebrated his 200th birthday. Did that make him the oldest person on the planet? Not likely. He made his maiden voyage into the afterlife on August 4, 1875. But his works live on, enshrined in the memory of millions, in the form of Thumbelina, the Toy Tin Soldier, and many other popular fairy tale characters.
But what does Hans Christian Andersen have to do with being happy at work? Not much. And no, we are not suggesting that you read The Emperor's New Clothes when your deadline is five minutes away. There was a point to this story but it has temporarily been put on hold. We'll get back to it eventually.
In an age where being happy at work has replaced fat pay checks as the average employee's number one concern, job satisfaction should not be an oxymoron any longer. Unfortunately, the populace is divided into three categories - the happily employed, the unemployed, and the extremely disgruntled. It is the last group that we are concerned with.
Job satisfaction is a very recent phenomenon. Our forefathers (be they clerks in the East India Company or goat-herders travelling with Genghis Khan's army) rarely asked themselves if they were happy at work? Work was work and that was all there was to that. But, with an economic boom on the horizon, the number of jobs available has increased exponentially. There are, however, a few who still have to contend with excruciatingly monotonous work. We have come up with a few guidelines after extensive research done by batty old men in white coats and the consumption of innumerable cups of coffee. Hopefully, they should be of some help.
Think happy thoughts: Close your eyes. Think about a few of your favourite things. Don't, however, prolong this if you have a Homer Simpsonesque tendency to slaver at the vision of a chocolate bar or a hamburger.
Smile and say good morning: It's important to maintain friendly relations with your neighbours (It's the roadmap to peace as any politician worth his salt would tell you). A few chatty comments and some polite conversation can do no harm.
Use positive symbols: It's okay to hang up pictures of the wife as long as she's your own. It's probably a sad indicator of the social degeneration of our time but people do not take kindly to seeing pictures of their wives in their colleague's cubicle any longer.
Take many small breaks: Get up and walk around. Go to the restroom at least five times an hour for a change of scenery. This will have two effects - it will give you some exercise and it may get you some sympathy from people who think you're diabetic.
Voices in your head: Tell yourself how happy you are and how, every day and every moment, you are growing into a better person. (Note: this is a particularly tough routine to follow. Because it is such a complete lie, most people have had to abandon this process, in tears we may add, to save their soul and placate their conscience).
In conclusion, being happy at your workplace is not rocket science. It is more like a fairytale. One that Hans Christian Andersen probably meant to write but couldn't because of the social conditions in those days (the Danish people were naturally predisposed to violence against writers who were fussy about work). Ultimately, remember that happiness is a state of mind, and it is one that can be achieved only after a great deal of introspection.
ARJUN SENGUPTA
Arjuns.hyd@cnkonline.com
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Opportunities
