happiness at work: a book review

 

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When I was recently sent a copy of Happiness At Work: Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful--No Matter What by Dr. Srikumar S. Rao, I was ecstatic. I've recently started a new job and, of course, what I ultimately want is to be happy in my new position so when I received this book in the mail, I thought to myself, "How perfect!" and I dived in, devouring it one page at a time and absorbing its advice with gratitude. It turned out to be the perfect book for me and, whether you're just starting a new job or plugging away at an old one, you can also get a lot out of this book.

One of the greatest things about the book, in my opinion, is the fact that it's not completely limited to work. There are so many lessons that go beyond the office in this book, which made it feel like an even more productive way to spend my time. Not only was I learning more about how to make the most of the workplace, but I was also learning more about life.

The Best Lessons from Happiness At Work:

• How to choose your emotional state. Dr. Rao writes, "Whenever anyone does something that causes you to react with anger or distaste, take a deep breath and pause." Yes, this sounds like simple advice, but I'm a firm believer that we all have the power to choose our emotional states. Whether at the office or any other time, it's so important to choose your emotional state wisely.

• How to stop labeling things as good or bad. In the book, Dr. Rao states, "Even if you can't see how something can possibly be good, refraining from labeling it as 'bad.'" One of the reasons we really struggle with work and life is because we label things as good or bad. If we just accept things, without labels, we'll find that we're much, much happier.

• How to have extreme resilience. While Dr. Rao does recognize that it's important to be resilient, he highlights the idea of extreme resilience, which means even more resilient than you imagine you can be. We all have struggles. We all fall down, again and again. But it's up to you to get back up, to make the most of whatever you can in your life. Take this attitude to the workplace and you will certainly thrive.

• How to let things (like the past) go. As you know, I like to focus on the present, so it was a pleasure to learn that Dr. Rao believes that a great way to make the most of life and work is to let go of the past and keep moving forward. He urges us to "consciously drop the past," and start off fresh with every situation and every interaction. Don't go into any situation with negative memories and you'll be much more content.

• How to manage myself (instead of time). Dr. Rao writes: "You don't need to manage your time better. You need to manage yourself better." Time, as Dr. Rao argues, is out of our control. It keeps moving forward, no matter what we do. But we do have control over how we manage ourselves. Think about what you do during a day and determine what you really need to be doing. You may have more free time than you realize... 

• How to make the most of any situation. When you're faced with a difficult situation, don't think about how you can get out of it. Think about you can make the most of it. Dr. Rao suggests thinking of it as a game. You have to be creative and sometimes crafty to find the best way to make the most of a bad situation, but if you consider the situation as a challenge, you'll find yourself interested in it and trying make the most of it.

• How to focus on what really matters. "Passion doesn't exist in the job. It exists in you," writes Dr. Rao. No matter what, you have to recognize that passion lies within you. You have to choose what you want to be passionate about and you have the choice to direct your passion toward your job or any aspect of your life that you want to. You have to find out what matters most to you and focus on that. 

• How to stop looking to stuff for happiness. Happiness, according to Dr. Rao, is innate. It is something we're born with. But, unfortunately, "You do not experience the happiness in your innate nature because you have spent your entire life learning to be unhappy." You've been taught to want and to do and to seek happiness outside of yourself, but once you realize that it's within you, you no longer have to look for it in a career or a new product or even in the people around you.

• How to invest in the process. Outcomes are great. I mean, who doesn't love to see that all of their hard work has paid off? But outcomes aren't everything and, as I'm sure you've heard before, life is about the journey not the destination. When you focus on the process of your job and your life, as Dr. Rao advises, you're going to be a lot happier. By focusing on what you're doing and not what you're going to get, you'll be a lot more in love with the life you're living.

• How to accept things as they are. This is one of my favorite points and one of the best pieces of advice in the book. As Dr. Rao states, "Acceptance is key." If you don't accept what is happening in your life or in your work situation, you will always be unhappy and you will always be seeking something other than what you have. By accepting your situation, you will learn to make the most of it.

• How to watch your mental clutter. We all have a great deal of mental clutter and all of that inner chatter can take away from what's really happening right in front of us. While it's hard to imagine a life that doesn't have some sort of clutter in it, it's important that you pay attention to the clutter. Take time to listen to your thoughts and understand what your mind is telling you. 

• How to figure out who you are. First, remember that you don't have to be confined by labels. Just as you shouldn't label things, you shouldn't label yourself either. Next, keep in mind that the only constant is "I am." The "I am..." followed by an adjective or job description or label is transient. You are you and you must remain true to that notion -- no matter what your career path or relationship status or financial position is. 

• How to change your perceptions. Take a look around and think about how much you are thinking about the world from your perspective. It's hard not to, right? But consider this: there is the way you think things are and then there is the way things really are. Sometimes these can be pretty close to the same thing, but not always. Keep this in mind as you navigate through life's challenges and you'll be a lot more satisfied with the world around you.

• How to be mindful (not a multi-tasker). Especially in the workplace, it can be so important to do many things at once. But, as you may already know, this isn't always the most efficient way to get things done. Dr. Rao argues that being mindful is the best way to accomplish what you want to get done and that multi-tasking doesn't get things done nearly as well. Pay attention to what you're doing and you'll do a much better job.

• How to stop focusing on yourself. Though I'm all about giving yourself attention and loving yourself, I do agree with Dr. Rao's idea that we often divide our thoughts into "me" vs. "them." We have to, of course, look out for ourselves, but we also have to realize that we're not up against everyone else. Paying attention to others and working to understand them will really help us to make the most of any situation -- in the workplace or otherwise.

As you can see, there is a lot to be learned from reading this book. These are only some of the great life lessons I got out of the book -- lessons I'm going to take with me not only as I start my new job, but also everywhere I go. Reading this book made me realize that there are so many ways to make the most of work life, and one of those is to take the lessons I learn in the workplace and apply them to life. One of my favorite facets of this book is the plethora of stories included in each chapter. Each chapter provides examples of people who have struggled, both in work and in life, and each chapter shows the reader how these people could have or did benefit from the life lessons provided in the book's pages.

I'm sure there are many books lining the shelfs on how to make the most of your workplace, but what I loved so much about this book is that it's not just about work. Sure, all of the great lessons I learned from reading it can be applied in the office, but they can also be applied in all aspects of my life. Reading this has helped me not only to become a better employee, but also to become a better person.

Do you have any suggestions about how be happy at work?
What is the best job-related advice you've ever received?

Comments

[J.D. Meier]

Choosing an emotional state is actually powerful. Sometimes I catch myself in the wrong state and I simply choose a new one. It's when you don't even notice or when you don't even know that you can choose a different state that's a problem.

If just choosing a new state doesn't work, then music usually does ... otherwise, I have to get hard-core and whip out the old NLP techniques.

[positively present]

J.D. - It really is so powerful to be able to choose our own emotional states. And, as you said, sometimes we're really not conscious of the emotional choices we're making so it's key to stay tuned into what state of mind we're in at any given time. Music and NLP techniques are great ideas to get on the right path!

[Michelle]

I really liked this. I've been working on Zen stuff the past year and a half while I've also been on a weight loss journey. It's always great to get reminders. What are NLP techniques?

[positively present]

Michelle - From reading what you said you've been working on for the past year and half, I really think you'd get a lot out of reading "Happiness at Work." You can learn more about what NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming.

[Bekka]

I am so happy to have come across this post! I don't have time to read it all because I am at work. But this is the first thing I am reading when I get home and the next book I buy. At the momment I am struggling to stay positive at my job and today I went to your site looking for inspiration, of course I came across the perfect post. <3 love and positivity

[positively present]

Bekka - I'm glad you found this post too! I hope you enjoyed reading it when you got home from work. It's a great book and hopefully you'll find it helpful as well. Stay positive!