Have you ever looked at a sunset and questioned if you were seeing the sunset? This probably seems like a ridiculous question. We don’t typically second-guess what we see with our own eyes. But how do you know you aren’t looking at a sunrise instead? When we see the sunset, our eyes (and senses) send a message to our brain, which then processes the information with our previous knowledge and experiences, and formulates our perspective; thus identifying the sunset. This happens without our conscious brain realizing it. What we don’t pause to consider is the sunset is also a sunrise. It’s a matter of perspective; to one observer they’re looking at the front of the sun and to the other they’re looking at the back. Every day we see the world around us through our experiences and our experiences shape our perspective.
I recently helped a friend find clarity on the mission and vision of her new non-profit. Part of her dream is to provide better accessibility, give a voice and bridge those in the Deaf community with the Hearing community. Going into the meeting, I thought I understood her mission. Regardless, I was equipped with questions to help her get focused. As she shared her story with me, I realized how limited my perspective regarding her experiences was. Up until that conversation, I saw her, and her mission, from my perspective. I hadn’t previously thought to ask her how the world she experienced looked different from her perspective. Seeing the world from her viewpoint was truly a humbling and eye-opening experience. My perspective has widened.
The conversation with my friend made me reflect on all the opportunities we miss to see things from a different perspective. How often do we look at a situation and think, why won’t they just…? Why are they so…? Or it seems so obvious to me…. We see the world around us from our perspective. Unless we intentionally seek to experience something different or ask a lot of questions to learn from someone else’s experience, our perspective is limited. Our lives would be more enriched and our relationships would be stronger if we would slow down and get more curious in all situations. When we seek to look at a situation from a different perspective, we see differently.
Perhaps today, find an opportunity to seek a different perspective.
Do you struggle with setting AND keeping New Year resolutions? Anyone else start the new year out with great eagerness to improve all the things and end up feeling overwhelmed and guilty a short while later for not keeping up with the unrealistic expectations you set for yourself? Is it just me?!
Over the recent years, I have found much success in scrapping resolutions in the traditional sense and instead focusing on One Word. I find the word brings greater focus and meaning to my goals and serves as a compass to guide my decision making throughout the year.
My word for 2022 was Declutter and while I wasn’t perfect at it, I worked to declutter my closet, my to-do list and my mental state. My word for 2023 is Healthy. I am not sure I want this word and it keeps coming up; so perhaps it’s here to stay. You see, the key to having a meaningful word is to allow your One Word to come to you. You cannot choose your One Word. If you do you will most likely forget it and it will not be as meaningful.
Here is the process for identifying your One Word:
Prepare Your Heart: Look In
- Unplug from the noise and get away from the distractions of life.
- Ask a few essential questions:
- What do I need?
- What’s in my way?
- What needs to go?
Discover Your Word: Look Up
Now that your heart is ready, continue to unplug and listen up. Ask God/the Universe to reveal your One Word with his process:
- Ask, “What do you want to do within me and through me?”
- Write down what comes to your heart
- Listen and be open to the Word that you hear and/or feel
Live Your Word: Look Out
Keep your One Word front and center; use it as a compass. write down three things you will do to make sure you have regular reminders of your word, ie: computer password, note on a mirror, screen saver, accountabili-buddy check ins.
The crazy thing is many people think they know the meaning of their One Word at the beginning of the year, then life happens and their word guides them in ways they NEVER anticipated.
Every year I listen/read One Word that Will Change Your Life to help me regroup, reset and refocus for the year.
Have a joyful and healthy 2023!
How many of you have had a bad day? I’m not talking about just a challenging day, but a real life “I-can’t-do-anything-right” kind of day.
If you’re like most people, a bad day transitions to a bad night. And if you have too many bad days in a row, it transitions to impacting relationships at work, at home and with friends. You see, Disovering Job Joy is about more than just the impact on one individual.
Imagine a world where more people found joy in their work.
Imagine the impact on families and on communities.
If you have ever been in a role that didn’t fit you, you know that it’s not just an 8-5:00 thing. Giving everything you have during the day and not feeling fulfilled or rewarded leaves you depleted at the end of the day. And, I have yet to meet someone who has a terrible day at work and comes home to their family and says, “oh, thank goodness I’m home” AND contributes to the family in a positive way. Most of us cannot leave work at work.
Think Big, Start Small
People who are in roles that match their talent and personality traits are more engaged at work and at home. These people are more energized and contribute more positively to their family and their communities.
Through our work, we can Make this World a Better Place, One Joyful Employee at a Time.
As you plan for 2023, please take some time this holiday season for these three steps:
- Look Inward. Yep, this phrase is worth repeating, “put your oxygen mask on first”. Reflect and identify the work you were drawn to doing this past year that energized you. These are activities that are harder to NOT do than to do. It may have been something that others can’t imagine anyone would enjoy. Dig deep and figure out what it was that made this work so rewarding and exciting. Figure out a plan, at work and/or in your personal life, to do MORE of this.
- Look Outward: As one boss told me 20 years ago, “ok, now it’s time to stop with the naval gazing”. The more we look outward and help others achive what they want, we’ll get what we want. Not in a quid-pro-quo kind of way, but rather by helping others be their best version of themselves so they, too, can be more outward and optimistic. It’s a beautiful circle that has to start somewhere (pssst; with you!).
- Use the Playbook: Right before Thanksgiving I pulled up the Colors Chart for my family (yes, they have all taken the MPO assessment) to remind myself how to make the day joyful for everyone. In a family of mostly Reds and Yellows, it gets loud and everyone has an opinion. I do a gut-check on what is most important and let the rest go. I also remembered that my introverted son and son-in-law will, at some point, be on their phones striving to recharge from all of the craziness.
With Gratitude
You have the insight and the tools to make this world a better place, one joyful employee (person) at a time. We are grateful and honored to be with you on this journey!