We have all heard people say that “the world’s a tough place” or “it’s a dog-eat-dog world”, and maybe those folks are right. But, I believe living a happy life at home and at work is still very possible. I have spoken to many folks and ask them “are you happy”. If they say yes, I ask why. If they say “not really” or “not totally”, I ask why. After listening to literally hundreds of responses, I thought it might be helpful to craft a list a list of practical steps or principles one can use to get and stay on a path to living a happier life at home and at work. Here it is:
- Be purposseful about finding pleasure in the simple things in life…at home and at work.
- Make the best of your circumstances; no one has everything, and everyone has something. You will experience joy intermingled with sorrow; allow laughter to outweigh the tears!
- Don’t take yourself too seriously; but take serving and being kind to others very seriously.
- Understand that you can’t please everyone, so don’t let criticism worry you.
- Don’t allow the world to set the standard for you. God says simply, be holy because I am holy. Let God’s standard guide your thoughts, words, choices, and actions.
- Pursue your dream(s); the things that energize you…but stay out of debt.
- Never borrow trouble; imaginary trials are much harder to bear than real ones.
- Jealousy, gossip, and hate can poison the heart and soul; don’t practice any of these and avoid those who do.
- Always continue to learn and grow personally, professionally, and spiritually; read, pray, travel, and participate in many activities and interests.
- Don’t hold postmortems; don’t brood over sorrows, regrets, or mistakes. Pray and move your feet!
- Be a humble, obedient servant; use all that God has blessed you with to be a blessing to those less fortunate.
- Take care of yourself; maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and get the rest you need.
Give it a try; invite your family and work associates to join you. Practice these practical steps and start living a happier life at home and at work.
God’s peace…
If you are unhappy, lonely, feeling down, discouraged, depressed, or disillusioned, I encourage you to please read and meditate on these words…God breathed through the prophet Isaiah. If you will take the time to do so, you will begin to feel restored, refreshed, and recharged. Whatever has happened, or is happening in your life to cause you to lose hope, God wants to change that. he wants to fill you with his spirit, the Holy Spirit, the spirit of life, joy, and peace. He wants to rebuild, restore, and renew your life as only he can do, and then he wants you to rejoice and be happy in life and at work!
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
8 “For I, the LORD, love justice;
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
I remember having a lot of questions growing up, and I recall doing many things I should not have done and getting into allot of trouble because of the choices I made. As a teenager and young adult, I thought I knew it all; ends up I was wrong about that! Because I thought I knew it all, I rarely, if ever, went to my father for advice or counsel. As I got older, I realized that my dad was, in fact, a vault of wisdom, and that had I sought his guidance earlier in life, I could have avoided a lot of grief and pain. Some might say I was “stuck on stupid”.
So, if you desire to experience happiness in life and at work, I encourage you to seek counsel as you face key decisions in your life and at work. And, just as listening to the counsel of our fathers is important and helpful when we are growing up, so it is important to seek the counsel of our Heavenly Father, the one who created us, loves us immeasurably, and has a wonderful plan for our lives. Emmanuel, God with us, promises to never leave us nor forsake us, so you can count on him to be there for you; turn to him and trust him, especially when the going gets tough.
If this is new to you, and you desire “a peace that passes all understanding”, ask God to reveal himself to you and to help you know that he is real. Acknowledge to him that you hurt and are unhappy and that you know you have done some things that have contributed to your own unhappiness (sin). Invite him into your life and into your heart. Put your trust in Him and his son Jesus, who died on the cross so that you and I can personally know and have a real, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. He yearns to be involved in our lives. Ask him to change you and your life, to give you the peace and joy that you desire, and to direct the steps of your life going forward.