Effective, positive leaders are happy people. That doesn’t mean one needs to be happy 24/7. That is not realistic. We do get angry, discouraged, sad, and other negative emotions. However, happiness is something we can strive for; it is something we can have. We can be happy people and still encounter the negative aspects of life in realistic ways.
Why be happy? Is it worth the effort? We can choose to be unhappy, and repel most good people. Or, we can choose to be happy and draw others to you. After all, when was the last time you were drawn to a pessimist? An unhappy person? After reading several sources on happiness, they all seem to say much of the same thing about the benefits happiness. The list below is a combined list that reflects some of those sources:
Benefits of Happiness
- You eliminate fear, anxiety and stress. You can’t be happy and depressed at the same time. It is impossible. When you decide to be positive within yourself the negative has to leave. It is just like walking into a dark room, you don’t yell and scream at the darkness and tell it to get out. You ignore the darkness because you know that all you have to do is simply flip the light switch and the light comes in.
- You feel better – When in the mental state of joy and happiness your body releases chemicals that give you that “feeling great” feeling; sometimes even a feeling of euphoria.
- Your body heals itself – When happy, your body produces endorphins and other chemicals that help your body repair and heal on its own. Science has proven that when fear and doubt are eliminated it gives the body a better chance to heal itself.
- Others are drawn to you – they like feeling good so they want to be around you. This works really great if you want to eliminate negative people and start attracting more positive friends.
- You will be finding the good in people and in life. When we are happy we naturally see more of the good around us and in others instead of what is wrong. People respond better to positive reinforcement than negative. So, in business, finding the good in people and the job will make you a better leader, manager, organizer, instructor, co-worker etc. And in your personal life you will be a better spouse, friend, neighbor, and parent.
- Others will want to give you their best instead of just getting by. When you recognize someone’s strengths and constantly build them up, you are encouraging and inspiring them. They really like that feeling, so they want more, so they do more. They will do more of the things you are speaking positively to them about. This includes the management team, your employees, spouse and children.
- Out of all the other people in the office, more customers and clients will want you. A person filled with peace and happiness exudes confidence because they are happy within themselves. That confidence will attract more customers and clients. One writer’s story: “My daughter is a great example of this. When she was in her twenties she worked as a server in a very nice restaurant. She was friendly, cheerful and had a sincere desire to please her customers. This caused them to ask for her each time they came back to eat and very often she received extremely generous tips.”
- You could possibly earn a raise or promotion. Happy people do better on the job, get better jobs and make more money. There is a very good chance that when your boss, manager, supervisor sees you working better with the customers/clients and being more productive he will want to reward you in some way, possibly with a bonus, raise or promotion.
- At home your spouse or partner will be more loving in response to your giving love and joy. Anything you don’t feel you are getting from your spouse, start giving it in a loving way. Eventually it will start to come back to you. And if you find it hard at first, pretend you have it until you do. Your happiness does not depend on what someone else is doing or not doing. Find the good in everything and everyone. When you are happy you automatically want to give, you see the good in others; eventually they will catch the wave and bless you in return.
- Children respond really well to positive thoughts and emotions which bring about positive actions.You will find children jumping right in there with you; laughing, smiling and enjoying life. They want to please and when you are building them up and encouraging them in a positive and loving manner, the sky is the limit to what they will accomplish.
In a very good article called found at INC., “10 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Incredibly Happy,” Jeff Haden lists ten things to do to experience happiness/become a happy person. Regardless of your spiritual life, there are many items in this list that we can all do. He obtained this list from Belle Beth Cooper, Content Crafter at Buffer, the social media management tool that lets you schedule, automate, and analyze social media updates. Here is the abbreviated version:
1. Exercise: 7 Minutes Could Be Enough
2. Sleep More: You’ll Be Less Sensitive to Negative Emotions
3. Spend More Time With Friends/Family: Money Can’t Buy You Happiness
4. Get Outside More: Happiness is Maximized at 57°
5. Help Others: 100 Hours a Year is the Magic Number
6. Practice Smiling: Reduce Pain, Improve Mood, Think Better
7. Plan a Trip: It Helps Even if You Don’t Actually Take One
8. Meditate: Rewire Your Brain for Happiness
9. Move Closer to Work: A Short Commute is Worth More Than a Big House
10. Practice Gratitude: Increase Happiness and Satisfaction
Quick Final Fact: Getting Older Will Actually Make You Happier
You can read the entire article here: 10 ways to be happy
Finally, I cannot resist. I am including a video of a song that many of you have heard or seen. It is Pharrell Williams and his song “Happy.” Just click on Happy to watch it: Happy
Let me know what you think about happiness. I look forward to hearing from you, the reader.