This week, I went on vacation.
So, for anyone who asked me where my weekly post is [thank you, it always surprises me to hear that people are looking forward to it], here's the answer🔆
I went on vacation in a different state of mind.
It was an unplanned, unmanaged, without a to do list vacation.
I had only one goal in mind [by the way, not an easy task when you put all family members together]: to make everyone happy.
How simple, how not trivial.
Why does happiness matter so much?
As Yuval Noah Harari points out in his book SAPIENS (2014), family and community are essential components of happiness:
"Family and community seem to have more impact on our happiness than money and health. People with strong families who live in tightknit and supportive communities are significantly happier than people whose families are dysfunctional and who have never found (or never sought) a community to be part of".
So what exactly did we do?
I asked everyone what would make their vacation truly enjoyable. The one and only thing thanks to which they can say they had a good vacation.
Why?
First, to create a positive atmosphere in advance.
After all, we're on vacation!
Second, to really know what will make each of us happy right now, in this specific vacation.
So, the first one wanted to sleep late, the second wanted to do sports, and the third wanted an "extreme activity with lots of water". I wanted an afternoon coffee by the sea.
Once we knew what everyone wanted, we could direct the activity in a way that everyone would enjoy.
...And what else?
I added another layer of surprise to it ☺☺☺
Because if you want vanilla ice cream and get it, you are happy. But if you want vanilla ice cream and you also get rainbow candies on top of it, you're cheerful 🍦🍧🍨
My impression is that we were up to the task.
We returned home happy and full of motivation.
Mission accomplished💖
What is the connection between this and the workplace?
While I was driving home, I thought about the workplace and how important it is for me to create an atmosphere of happiness there.
Having people around me feel valued, happy, smile, and surrounded by people who believe in them and care about their wellbeing is important to me.
It isn't due to statistics that show happy people are 37% more productive, or because happy people are more committed to their jobs.
It's because of the pleasure that comes from being around happy people, because of their choice to express the best of themselves, and because they want to share that joy with others as well.
Making the workplace more joyful is part of my agenda.
Counting happiness is one of my goals.
Just as at home, so at work, being happy is a choice.
So be good to yourself, your friends, partners, and family.
Smile and make people happy!
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