One of the by-products of a depressed economy is a shift in focus from material goods/wealth to an emphasis on satisfaction and happiness (i.e. since you can't afford anything, might as well make the best with what you have). As you read the following article, reproduced on alternet.org from YES! Magazine, consider what role personal and career satisfaction/happiness will play in your post-collegiate life.
Read the article at: http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/111138/10_things_science_says_will_make_you_happy/?page=entire
In the comments section, provide answers to the following questions in consideration of your expectations for personal and career satisfaction/happiness.
1) How many of these 10 things do you currently do? How many do you expect to do in the future?
2) Do you believe there is a relationship (causal or correlational) between personal happiness and career satisfaction? If not, why not? If so, in what way?
Deadline to comment is Sunday, 09/13/2009, 11:59pm
Read the article at: http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/111138/10_things_science_says_will_make_you_happy/?page=entire
In the comments section, provide answers to the following questions in consideration of your expectations for personal and career satisfaction/happiness.
1) How many of these 10 things do you currently do? How many do you expect to do in the future?
2) Do you believe there is a relationship (causal or correlational) between personal happiness and career satisfaction? If not, why not? If so, in what way?
Deadline to comment is Sunday, 09/13/2009, 11:59pm
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOut of the 10 things I do 4 of them. In the future i hope to accomplish or at least do 2 of the other things on that list. One of them being smiling when i do not mean it and savior everyday moments.
ReplyDeleteThere is always a correlation between personal and career happiness. With the whole being happy with what you do. If you are not happy with your work it is going to seep into your personal life, and wrack havoc on your inner self. Then it is also the same opposite, sometimes you can keep personal away from work but there are somethings no matter what is going to have an affect on you. Each one is a part of your day and very few people can let things go and with each one being tied in so close, that one will affect the other.
Brian Villar
Danielle Dennison:
ReplyDeleteWhat a great article.
I definitely savor everyday moments. I am the type of persons who stops and smells the roses, literally. I'll watch a sunset or make sure to use natural light when I am home during the day because it is more pleasant. For the second item, it is very challenging for me not to compare myself to others, I feel it is part of my competitive nature. It is hard for me not to find money important. We need it to survive and I love to travel, however I do not hold money in a higher regard than love, respect, or family. One of the most important goals for me is to show my soon to be stepson that I love him. I want to be a good female role model for him. This goal does give me great satisfaction and focus. I have very few friends but I love them dearly. When I was younger I was very much an optimist, over time that has changed. However, I am now, over the past year, returning to my optimistic roots. I am very thankful for everything I have. I keep a memory journal where I write about moments I want to savor for which I am thankful. Finally, I do not excercise enough and I do volunteeer a little and donate my money and blood a little. I could always do more.
So in the end it seems I do have some involvement in all of the items except excercise. And since I do compare myself to others, I think it would be a challenge for me to stop since do so motivates me to perform better at work or take better care of myself. Without doing so I believe I might become complacent. In the future, once I have reached some of my career goals I hope to have more money that I can give to charity and without school I hope to have more time to volunteer.
I definitely feel that those that are happier intrinsicly are going to perform better in all aspects of their life, including their career. If someone is truly happy with themselves and their life then they will propel themselves to great success.
I do seven of the ten things, and find it relevant to talk about the three which I do not. Number 2, "Avoid Comparisons," is very hard to do if you set standards or goals for yourself. You have to measure against something even if it is what you already have. Number 3, "Put Money low on the List," is presented in the wrong way. Let's face it that you have to pay for your needs in money, to get better of anything costs more in time and money, and to think a priority list is a "greedy" wish list makes a mockery of the intended message. Finally, Number 9, "Get Out and Exercise," is questionable in spite of the medically accurate context it is given, because of the reality in what it takes to have the time to do it versus the requirements of the individual as a working adult.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is a correlation between personal happiness and career satisfaction, which shifts as the balance of the cost of living and the individual income changes. When I was able to live in a studio apartment with funds available in my bank account making around $7.00/hr., I was very happy and content riding my ten speed around downtown Orlando, visiting family and friends whenever the opportunity presented itself, and enjoying when rare opportunities arose for going to a convention (Sci-fi or otherwise).
I'm sure other correlations can be drawn, but it is easy to draw a picture of something, when you've never seen it before. The 'road most traveled' may be the smoother surface, but it also has the fewer surprises of good nature awaiting you without having prior contacts arranged.
Out of the 10 things to do, I believe I do 7 out of 10. Although I would love to do them all, sometimes it's hard to do them to their fullest extent, especially not making comparisons. That one is difficult for me. I often savor the little things in life, like a really good meal or dessert, or a comfortable bed. I don't have a lot of money, and when problems come from that, it's also difficult to not put money first. I'm trying to look at things in a more positive light.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe there is a relationship between career satisfaction and overall happiness. I feel that, even if a job is not as glamorous as it seems, if it has the right characteristics that fit your life, you'll be happy. For example, if someone wants a job in the outdoors, they could be perfectly happy and content in a landscape maintanence position that gives them weekends off to spend with their family. I believe the actual job provides much more happiness than the money will. We spend so much of our time at work, and usually aren't spending any money at all while we're there, so what we're doing during that large chunk of time becomes incredibly important. Going after what makes you happiest is what matters, the money will come on its own.
1. Savor Everyday Moments- It is always good to stop and smell the roses but I find myself doing this in specific moments. A good example would be when I have a break from school and work and I’m sitting on the beach with some friends with an ice-cold beverage. That is a moment where I would stop, and savor the moment at hand.
ReplyDelete2. Avoid Comparisons- this is something I am terrible at not doing. I look around me and see someone driving nicer car then me, having a nicer home then me. At the same time as me comparing myself to others, it gives me motivation to work harder and better myself.
3. Put Money Low on the List- This is also something I am horrible at not doing. I feel that one day money will bring me happiness when I know this is not true. But I still work harder and harder everyday to be comfortable in the financial area. This also relates to avoiding comparisons, keeping up with the Jones as they stated in the article.
4. Have Meaningful Goals- I do this a lot and feel it is very important to ones happiness. If you are striving for a goal for a wrong reason you will not have enough passion to go forward with it. I feel the goals I set are for reasons to better myself and I am passionate about the goals I set.
5. Take Initiative at Work- I feel very strong about this subject because I am half owner of a wakeskate company. Its very hard work, but I love every minute of it because I love the sport. If you do not like your job, then I say change it to what ever makes you happy.
6. Make Friends, Treasure Family- I am very close with my family and close to all of my friends. I have a big number of acquaintances and a small number of true friends. The friends I can call in an emergency. This subject also relates to relationships with girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, and wife’s. Communication and caring is the key.
7. Smile Even When You Don’t Feel Like It- no body likes a negative nancy. I always try to be in a good mood and put a smile not only on my face but others. No one wants to be around a person who is negative because it brings down everyone in the surrounding area.
8. Say Thank You Like You Mean It- I do this a lot. If some one makes me happy I will let them know and not just keep it to myself. It helps to talk and or write what you mean and let others know that you appreciate them. If they feel good you will also feel good.
9. Get Out and Exercise- Diet and Exercise are two huge things in my life. I Believe that if I cant better myself starting with diet and exercise ill never be able to succeed in other activities. I am an athlete and I participate in my sport at least 5 times a week, It keeps me healthy and motivated.
10. Give It Away, Give It Away Now!- I spoke about this earlier and I do this as much as I can. Helping out other and making them feels good always puts a smile on my face. It is healthy to feel good about yourself and helping other and I believe its an important key to success.
I think there is a 100% relationship between person happiness and career. A wise man once told me “ If you love what you do you will never work a day in your life.” This is a very true statement and that is why I work hard to reach my goals. I know what I want to do with my life and once I’m in that position I will be going to work with a big smile waiting to help others.
Of the 10 concepts listed I feel like I regulary practice 8. In a perfect world I would be able to practice all ten but in the future the most I could see doing is 9. In the reality that is our world money is a necessary evil. I am not saying I want to be the richest man and unhappy but I do want to have the opportunity to do as I please.
ReplyDeleteAs far as happiness and work go I definitely believe they do not go together. I currently have nights where I work and receive terrible tips and because of this Ijust have a negative vibe at work. It takes a lot for me to be negative and get disappointed I have very positive outlook on life. This outlook proves to me that the two are not tied because the moment I walk out those doors whether I walked out with 200 dollars or 100 dollars I am smiling and ready for whatever the night has to offer. I will not ever have my job change me.
These ten happy rules of thumb are great. They are each very important and I don't think a person should do any of these rules to the fullest extent. They all sound great and I was able to automatically think of personal examples for all ten rules, but if you do any one thing too much you will get passed by. If you savor every moment you may never get anything done or if you do not put money at the top of your priorities, (which is great it shouldn't be)you may not ever be able to get the things you desire. There should be a medium zone that works for each individual,
ReplyDeleteFor me I am a minimalist. I really enjoy the outdoors and nature therefore I am aware of simple beauties and rare occasions. Exercise is a key part in my life. Almost all of my hobbies are outdoor activities that automayically keep me in shape. I like to travel and that is often my short term goals so I have learned to live on simple things and save money. I do jump at oppurtunities to be with family or close friends and often reach into my traveling funds to be with them. I am a life guard and am able to do constructive things at work. I really enjoy making improvements and making a positive impression on patrons. With such a big interest in hospitality I always try to be pleasant and patient.
1) I would say that I am a pretty optimistic person so a lot of these things I already do on a daily basis, and for the most part I am generally happy. I would like to take more initiative at work and exercise more often. I love my friends and family and I finally have some goals in place that I am working toward. I genuinely like giving and making people happy but I could work on showing my gratitude more.
ReplyDelete2) Yes, of course there is probably a correlation between career satisfaction and personal happiness. Aside from any economic issues that can arise from a bad career situation, I believe that getting up in the morning to do something you love as opposed to something that bores you or that you hate can greatly affect your overall happiness. As long as you are making enough money to meet your financial needs, doing a job you love would probably bring more happiness than one you do not like even if it gives an excess amount of money.
I went back and counted up the things that I currently do regularly. My list was longer than I thought it would be. I found that I practice tips: 1,3,4,5,6,7,8, and 10. I will try to work on practicing tips 2 and 9. Tip 9 will be easier when I have more free time. Tip 2 will be a hard one to accomplish because you will have to catch your self in the middle of a sub conscious thought, but I will work on it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that their is a relationship between the two, but that it is not an absolute relationship. If someone is unhappy with their professional life it would be hard to consider their lives to be truly happy. Our work is a big part of our lives, that definitely plays a role in our happiness. On the other hand, one can be happy with their professional life and still be unhappy with life in general. I think that it would help to be happy with you work to be happy with life, and vice versa.
The article on "The ten things science says will make you happy" was a great and very interesting article to me. After reading the article I found that I can relate to many of those 10 things which is probably why I am very happy with the way I live and not to stressful. Out of these 10 things mentioned in this article I believe that I do all of them except avoiding comparisons. I do feel like I compare myself to some people once in awhile depending on the situation that I am in. if I see someone my age who is headed in the right direction I look up to that person and think about what I can do to be just like that person. I tend to think about how much better my life can be even though it is already great. In the future I expect to do all 10 things on the list and not just 9 of them. I shouldn't have to compare myself to anyone but my own self but thats just how I always have been. As I get older I hope to out grow this and be very successful on my own and have people compare themselves to me.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that there is a strong correlation between personal happiness and career satisfaction. In my opinion, I feel like whatever career it is that you choose to pursue in the future should be something that you really enjoy and love to do. I think its very important to wake up every morning and want to go to work rather then dreading it every day of your life which will only cause more stress to you. Personal happiness is extremely important but it must correlate with your future career.
A lot of these ten things are things that I do try to keep in mind of every day. I especially like #7: Smile Even When You Don't Feel Like It. I read this once, and even though it's hard to do when you're feeling down, it really does work!
ReplyDeleteOne of the ones I do have trouble with is #3: Put Money Low on the List. I know you'll never be happy if money is your main driving force. Yet, my biggest dream is to travel the world someday. Unfortunately, I don't think that would ever happen without the right amount of money.
I believe there is a two-way relationship between personal happiness and career satisfaction. If you are a happy person, you will be more likely to look for ways that your job can enhance your life. You can turn into an outlet for personal challenge and achievement.
But it works the other way, too. If you get reward and satisfaction from what you do at work, this will likely carry over to your personal life. A successful career can create a sense of meaning and value, like an instant shot of self-esteem.
As someone who was near death a few short years ago, I have to say that I have recently actively been engaged in all except three (2. avoid comparisons, 3. put money low on list, and 10. give away now…only in abeyance). I worked 32 years in a row and became deathly sick. As a result I had to re-wire my brain and thinking to still live to the fullest with what I still could offer and be productive, happy, and help others. Long ago my family taught me to volunteer (which I continued for many decades) from the age of 6 years old, and I am grateful that they taught me by example.
ReplyDeleteHere are some obstacles I learned to adapt and move beyond. I had to learn not compare myself with others because of my recent limitations and frankly, everyone is different--happiness starts from within. Money was difficult because my healthcare was dropped which exacerbated being ill and recuperation—so money was important not as a status symbol, but to survive. I could not volunteer during recuperation--which I loved and missed--until I climbed serious hurdles where I could be physically capable of helping myself get strong and stabilize before reaching out to others without relapse. After this process I evolved into a new lease on life and through a new lens of life…
At this point I literally live each day as if it were my last and “savor” life more--than a medium-rare filet mignon stuffed with crabmeat smothered with with béarnaise over a bed of asparagas. I now have short-term and mid-term goals. Physical therapy (exercise) is mandatory. I treasure my family and started to document our ancestral legacy (scrapbooks/journals/manuscripts). I want to get back to my volunteer groove because I have experience and empathy to understand and help intuitively and willingly. I’m happy to be here and start anew and my Interdisciplinary Degree will give me the opportunity to move forward through all these changes.
Lisa Beni
1) How many of these 10 things do you currently do? How many do you expect to do in the future?
ReplyDeleteI try very hard to Savor Everyday Moments. I have been this way for many years. I work so hard to make my schedule have time for my kids, for surprises in life and for my friends. I also Avoid Comparisons. I chose this path in life for very good reasons. They might not apply now, but they were relevant to who I was at the time. I am not able to put Money Low on the List just yet. It's too much on the front and center with taking care of my family and helping with my parents. My whole life is about Meaningful Goals!! I take Initiative at Work and that's how I became a financial analyst at 21 without a degree and that's why I know putting your mind to a task will make it happen! I wish I had time for friends, but I treasure family. I smile when I don't feel like it but also try to allow other emotions to show too. Thank You is always said and always meant. I need to get out and exercise, I just need one more hour a day. When I moved in to help out with my parents, our family donated most of our belongings. Someone else could use them while we aren't!!!
2) Do you believe there is a relationship (causal or correlational) between personal happiness and career satisfaction? If not, why not? If so, in what way?
Yes, a direct correlation. If you are unhappy you are generally not giving 100%. If you are not giving 100%, you are not valued at work as much as others. If you don't feel valued, you can't find the reasons to work hard. It's a cycle and it all begins with your attitude. It's one of the few things you CAN control at work!!
1) I think I do all of these to an extent, particularly numbers 1 and 10. I try to enjoy "little things" every day, whether it's simple good food, spending time with my pets, whatever. And I share as much as I can with those who need help. I think the things I need to do more often would be 2 and 9. I don't tend to compare my own life to that of others except when it comes to my physical appearance and fitness; as far as that goes I'm extremely critical of myself and always comparing myself to others. And on a related note, I need to do more of #9. =)
ReplyDelete2) I'm sure there is some relationship between personal happiness and career satisfaction, but I don't believe one is wholly (or even mostly) dependent on the other. Surely if you're not entirely satisfied with your job you won't ever be completely happy, and likewise even if you have an amazing job you might not be totally happy.
In the comments section, provide answers to the following questions in consideration of your expectations for personal and career satisfaction/happiness.
ReplyDelete1) How many of these 10 things do you currently do? How many do you expect to do in the future?
Everyday I try and savor the moment. I am a very spiritual person and I believe in God's greatness, and it's very important for me to take a step back a realize how amazing life can be. In that, I also try and smile every chance I get even when I don't feel like it. I know that smiling and exercise can change you day and your future. I expect to do these things for the rest of my life!
2) Do you believe there is a relationship (causal or correlational) between personal happiness and career satisfaction? If not, why not? If so, in what way?
I do believe there is a relationship between personal and career satisfaction. Both are goal and pleasure driven. When both work in a healthy relationship the results can be outstanding.
I feel like I dip in and out of some of the 10 actions listed but do not faithfully stick to any of them. I made a goal to myself to work hard at improving my musical skills in drumming by practicing everyday. This was great for a short time but then I began to slack off and practice only weekly. Another example is at work. Sometimes I will feel motivated and take initiative but other times I just feel lazy and ignore problems that could be fixed. They all seem like great advice not to be brushed aside but rather looked into with serious intent. I would like to think that someday I would be able to achieve a state of happiness where I was utilizing all of these actions.
ReplyDeleteI feel that career satisfaction and personal happiness are deffinately linked. Many people try to separate their personal life from their time at work and while this may work a bit it is not a complete divide. If you are having trouble at home when you head out to work this will undoubtedly follow you and put a damper on your day. If you wake up to a happy household you can leave for work with a smile ready to take on the day with a positive outlook. You may consider yourself to have a work life and a personal life but they are both important aspects of who you are and weigh heavily on your overall happiness and satisfacion in life.
I would have to say that I follow 6 of the 10 things in this article. I expect to follow at least 9 of the 10 things, if not all 10, in the future. One of those things being taking initiative at work. I don't do that so much now because I really feel like I'm working in a dead-end job that I'm only keeping to have a little extra spending money while in school. Another of those things is getting out and exercising. I have lately really been feeling a little down in the dumps and I keep wanting to go and exercise because I know I will feel better about myself. I do plan on doing this in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI believe there is definitely a relationship between personal happiness and career satisfaction. If you are unsatisfied with your career and feel that you aren't going anywhere with it or you are just completely uninterested in the entire field you are working in you will be very unhappy with your personal life. You can find yourself complaining to everyone about how miserable your job is and it will bring everyone else down as well. Being unhappy with your personal life can also bring down one's performance at work. One may not work as hard and may not care as much if his personal life is not going well.
Out of the ten habits to happiness listed in the article I tend to practice most of them on a daily basis. Even though I don’t use all of them all the time I believe that there is always room for improvement.
ReplyDeleteFor instance I have a relatively long commute to class and the traffic may get on my nerves but I often find myself looking to the sky and enjoying the colors I see or an interesting looking plant.
I also try to avoid comparisons. I know there will always be someone better than me at everything but as John Butler Trio but it in his song “Life’s not about what’s better than.”
As far as money, it’s easy to put low on my list since I don’t have much of it. As long has I have enough to eat, pay bills, go to an occasional show, and put gas in my car to go surfing I’m happy.
My goals I believe to be extremely meaningful. They are not to be rich or well known but to be financially comfortable enough to enjoy all the simple things in life.
Taking initiative at work is one thing I can improve on more. I have just started interning at a physical therapist office a couple weeks ago so I am still learning the ropes. However, every day I go in to work, I feel that I’m constantly learning which helps me to become even more involved.
I feel I’m very fortunate to have the friends and family I have. I have many close friends whom I can call on for anything. I also have a very tight nit family that is for the most part based out of Orlando. Not to mention my wonderful boyfriend of 3 ½ years. Also I always enjoy meeting new people with similar interest.
As far as smiling even when I don’t feel like it, I don’t always feel that I do this. I can be a very emotional person so this can be difficult. However, I am aware that vibes rub off on others and I never want to be responsible for bringing another down so I try and work on seeing the light in a dark situation.
I consider myself to be a genuine person. I am very caring always trying to help others so when I see someone who does the same I am quick to give them a meaningful thank you.
I don’t have a consistent exercise routine but I do get out and exert myself mainly by surfing. On average I surf at least once a week and when it’s flat I at least get out and skate. I feel this is an exercise like no other.
For the last one, I always try and do my part for humanity and for nature. Just last Thursday after class my boyfriend and I gave blood for the first time. We also are constantly picking up trash on the beach. Besides physical ways of helping, I try and always be there for my friends and family whether they just need someone to listen to them or need some advise, they know they can always count on me.
As far as career satisfaction and happiness, I believe they go hand in hand. For my career, I plan to work as a physical therapist assistant while helping manage a plant nursery business. By helping patients overcome injuries for a living and contributing to my hometown’s beautiful natural environment, I hope to improve the quality of life for myself and others.
1. Savor Everyday Moments
ReplyDeleteI try to savor every moment. I have had too many close friends and family members pass unexpectedly not to enjoy every possible moment.
2. Avoid Comparisons
I currently avoid comparing myself and my situation to those of my peers. Everybody has something that someone else wants. My biggest treasure are my wife and kids. no matter how much money or worldly possessions someone else might have, they will never have my family.
3. Put Money Low on the List
I have a certain order I live by. It helps me to prioritize my life and keeps me in line.
1. God
2. Family
3. Country
4. Education
5. Money
4. Have Meaningful Goals
I learned a long time ago, You can spend your money on a piece of junk and get what you pay for or you can save your pennies and buy something of quality that will last for awhile and serve you well. This same theory goes for education and work. anything worth doing is worth doing well.
5. Take Initiative at Work
Currently I work for myself. So if I don't take initiative nothing gets done and I don't get paid.
6. Make Friends, Treasure Family
In a couple of the previous suggestions I believe that I have mentioned how much I treasure my family. True friends are few and far between. My true friends are cherished equally with my family, so much so that my kids refer to them as their aunts and uncles.
7. Smile Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
when you own your own business this is one of the golden keys to success. Even when the customer is completely obnoxious and I have to grin and bear it, I just imagine how I'm going to be spending his money after it is all over. when I do this I can usually muster up a smile even I'd rather be doing something else to them.
8. Say Thank You Like You Mean It
These are the other golden keys to success. Please, Thank you, Yes Ma'am and Yes Sir will take you far.
9. Get Out and Exercise
Until recently I felt that I was too busy to hit the gym. I started working out again about 6 weeks ago and have been kicking myself because it took me this long to do it. I handle stressful situations better, feel stronger and seem to enjoy life more, all because I work out 3 times a week.
10. Give It Away, Give It Away Now!
I have attended church pretty much my entire life. My Church is located in downtown DeLand. We spend a lot of time feeding the homeless as well as sponsoring AA meetings going on mission trips to help the less fortunate. When I participate in any of these things, I come away feeling not only good because I helped someone out but more appreciative of my own life.
I believe there is definitely a correlation between happiness and career satisfaction. If you are not happy doing the job that you do, you are not self-fulfilling. In some cases the career you chose can actually give you a sense of guilt. for example, one of the most lucrative jobs I've had was delivering beer. It was very good pay but there were two problems for me. the first problem was that I worked anywhere from 12-16 hrs daily 6 days a week. this limited the amount of time i had to spend with my family. The second problem I had was that every time I read about someone getting killed in my area due to drunk driving, I wondered if they were intoxicated due to the alcohol I had delivered. I understood that it was the drunk drivers responsibility to drink responsibly, but that didn't seem to ease my conscience. in that career I personally could have never been happy.
I was happy to discover I do a majority of the activities listed in the article. Personally I am a big fan of “stopping to smell the roses” and find it does help me feel good about my daily life. I’ve found the best way to accomplish this is by riding my bike rather than driving. By slowing down the pace of my commute I feel more in tune with my surrounding and appreciate them that much more. I like the idea of writing gratitude letters and think I’ll give it a try in the near future.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the existence of a relationship between personal happiness and career satisfaction is concerned I have to say that such a relationship is undeniable. If one finds themselves in the position of pursuing a career in which they genuinely enjoy the work they are doing, succeeding in said field will surely bring about greater personal happiness. This is because when you succeed in a job you enjoy you are attaining a goal which carries some intrinsic value which brings more personal satisfaction than any monetary reward ever could.
Of all the ten things that are listed, I currently do seven of the ten scientifically proven strategies for getting happy. As most people, I hope to do all of them in the future. I definitely wasn’t always a “happy” person… however; it’s true when they say life is what you make out of it. I feel that one of my strongest traits I do and have always done in order to be a happy person is what number nine had stated. I would always “get out and exercise” and I agree with the study that states, exercise may be just as effective as drugs in treating depression, without all the side effects and expense. Other research shows that in addition to health benefits, regular exercise offers a sense of accomplishment and opportunity for social interaction, releases feel-good endorphins, and boosts self-esteem. I definitely feel a natural high when I go out for a run!
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe there is a relationship between personal happiness and career satisfaction. As stated before, happiness occurs with situations and your own environment. Also, it was stated that, “How happy you are at work depends in part on how much initiative you take. That when we express creativity, help others, suggest improvements, or do additional tasks on the job, we make our work more rewarding and feel more in control.” Yes, I believe work can correlate with personal happiness. I believe if you’re an unhappy or miserable person and act that way with others you’re going to not have people wanting to be around you or work with you, and that would only result in being alone and then ultimately unhappy.
Of the 10 things listed in the article, I honestly do about 6 of them, with altruism being at the top of my list. I think, by far, helping and serving others is the purest form of happiness available. In all actuality, I think a relatively low goal would be to try and do all of the suggestions listed to make one happier, and I know if I tried, I could easily do all of them, with the exception of avoiding comparisons, because I am a highly competitive person. But, with the right training and an appreciation of what I have been given by Him, this also would not be too difficult.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that there exists a correlational relationship of personal happiness and career satisfaction with neither necessarily causing the other. From what I have seen in my own life, the people who seem the happiest enjoy their profession, and the people who enjoy their profession seem to be the happiest people I know. I realize that there can be exceptions to the rule because I do not necessarily like being a server in a restaurant but if you ask my friends, they would surely say that I am never in a bad mood, usually quite the opposite. I believe that since a career is such a major part of one’s life that if you do not enjoy what you do for a job, that is basically (at least) a third of your day hating life and it is not easy to dissociate yourself from work when you have been seething all day long. In short, find a job/career/profession you enjoy and you will be happy, and be happy, and given enough time, you will find job/career/profession you enjoy.
I savor everyday moments, make friends and treasure family, mean my words, and fancy myself an altruist... I really want to stop the comparisons and not care about money so much.... but then again Why am I in school right? "Cuz I wanna make bank bro!"
ReplyDeleteI think the relationship between career satisfaction and personal happiness really depends on how goal oriented, applied and coordinated the person is. Not everyone is built for the corporate cookie cutter reality, some people think themselves modern day revolutionists, what I mean is the idea of happiness is fleeting, if you have your goal in mind, do what you love to do, so you love doing it. If not then do what you don't like but it makes you really appreciate a good vacation. Make the most of it.
I think that for the most part I try do all of the things that are on the list, the only one that is very hard for me is to smile even when I don’t want to, I wear my emotions on my sleeve. And I believe that there is more than a casual correlation between job satisfaction and personal happiness, most of our lives are going to be consumed by our jobs at some point in our lives, and that is why I feel it is so important to have passion for what it is that you are going to be doing, whatever it may be. School isn’t for everyone and neither is making lots and lots of money but those things are for some and will make some happy. I do not feel that your job has to make you who you are and be the only thing that you do but it is a big part of your life and if it does not give you any type of satisfaction and you are doing it every day it eventually will bring you down and effect you overall happiness.
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ReplyDeleteAvoid Comparisons: I feel that it's best to appreciate who you are, embrace the different facets of your personality, and understand that comparisons cause insecurities. You have to love yourself to love someone else, right?
Put Money Low on the List: Obviously as college students, money is generally an issue. However, I try to budget as much as possible, and I also focus less on material goods.
6. Make Friends, Treasure Family: I've definitely enjoyed becoming a more social individual! It's satisfying to have healthy relationships and interesting connections with other people. Hanging out with my friends allows me to escape out of the "I" realm, and look at the world with more enthusiasm.
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Not necessarily, because I don't believe that a person has to have a career to be happy. There are other ways of living besides the College > 40 Year Career > Retirement format.
I attempt eight out of the “10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy” on a regular basis. I try to savor moments, but need to work on avoiding comparisons, and thinking about material riches. I have meaningful goals (attaining my degree is an important goal), enjoy taking initiative at work, and I appreciate my relationships. I’m not sure how well I smile when I’m not feeling like smiling, but I’m going to work on that in the future.
ReplyDeleteI read a book called: 'The Science of Getting Rich' over the summer, and the ‘Ten Things’ in this article are more or less mentioned in the book. It was written almost 100 years ago, and it is ‘good stuff’ in my opinion. It also speaks a lot about not making comparisons and being too competitive (you cannot reach your full potential if you’re preoccupied on what other’s are doing).
I believe there is a CASUAL relationship between happiness and career satisfaction. Happiness and wellness spill out into everything you do; if you’re feeling well and happy, it will show in your work. If you feel like crap, it’s more difficult to produce a product that isn’t crappy.
-Rich
1) How many of these 10 things do you currently do? How many do you expect to do in the future?
ReplyDeleteSavor everyday moments, avoid comparisons, put money low on the list, have meaningful goals, make friends, treasure family, say thank you like you mean it. I like to think I will do all of these in the future. I probably won't always put money at the bottom of the list. To be honest I live at home with my parents and they take care of the bills. And while you will never catch me using the word rich it's been used. I like to think I will add more of these things as I enter the work place and have the ability to use these tips. However, I have never been good at smiling when I didn't feel like it.
2) Do you believe there is a relationship (causal or correlational) between personal happiness and career satisfaction? If not, why not? If so, in what way?
I definitely think there is a casual relationship. People who are unhappy in there job end up thinking about what could have been had they gone into a different field. Some one can be completely content with their life and still not be content with their job. It is hard to let unhappiness in one area of your life not leak into other areas.