What do successful and happy people talk about? They hardly ever complain and rarely talk about the usual things: the bad weather, incompetent politicians or the poor economic situation. They rarely talk about what is wrong or what they are angry about.
Self-determined and successful people talk about it much more often:
what inspires them
about their goals and visions
their current projects
how they will overcome current challenges
about what is wonderful in their lives
what they have already achieved and
what they still want to achieve
Some people may assume that they can think about these things because they are happy and successful. But perhaps it is the case that they are successful and happy BECAUSE they think about these things?
If we complain less and get upset about things that we can't change immediately, if we don't dwell on the problem but focus on what is really important to us and what inspires us, we take a big step towards a better quality of life!
"I can!" - THINK YOURSELF HAPPY
Successful and happy people are not more intelligent or more talented than others. They are people who differ from unhappy and unsuccessful people only in their attitude. Successful people use their abilities and are convinced that they can succeed and achieve their goals. They believe in themselves and in success and are therefore proactive.
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Between stimulus and response
The term "proactivity" was originally coined by Victor E. Frankl, the founder of logotherapy (logos = meaning), which was inspired by his experiences in a concentration camp.
There he realized that despite all the cruelty, arbitrariness and constant danger of death, he possessed a freedom that no one could take away from him.
He formulated the principle of "stimulus" and "response" and the individual's "freedom of choice" in between. He could decide for himself how he wanted to deal with a stimulus and which reaction he wanted to choose. Of course, he couldn't change the stimulus, but he could change how he dealt with it. He specifically developed this freedom through exercises and was able to draw strength from it until he was liberated
There is a space between stimulus and response. In this space lies our power to choose our reaction. In our reaction lies growth and our freedom. (Viktor Frankl)
Being proactive means more than just taking the initiative or taking action. Proactive means taking responsibility for yourself, your life and your actions and breaking the "stimulus - response" pattern.
We can only influence the stimuli we are exposed to to a limited extent or usually not at all. Nevertheless, we are not helplessly at their mercy. Nor do they determine our reaction, but we always have the freedom to determine our next action.
Genetic predisposition vs. self-determination
The excuse of our genetic predisposition and "I can't help it" has also been scientifically refuted, at least since the research findings of Bruce H. Lipton: The cell biologist dispels the doctrine that DNA controls our existence and uses the latest findings in epigenetics to show that our thoughts and feelings affect every cell and thus determine our lives.
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So the mind is stronger than the genes, and we hold the key to a fulfilled life in our own hands.
Being proactive therefore means saying goodbye to the role of victim and taking responsibility through conscious, self-determined action. We create our circumstances and decide for ourselves how we classify them and what we make of them. It is our choice whether we make others responsible for our happiness and unhappiness or whether we keep reminding ourselves that it is in our own hands.
You only achieve what you think you can achieve. Therefore, never underestimate your possibilities and abilities. (Rolf Merkle)
Those who are not proactive ask: "Why me?", "What's wrong with me?", "Why do I always have such a hard time?". Those who are proactive ask: "What can I do to achieve a goal, to be happy?".
DREAMWORK TIP
Ask yourself what you mainly talk about with other people. Do you tend to talk about the usual, i.e. about other people, about small and large injustices, about problems and about what's wrong? If you perhaps find yourself here to some extent, try consciously choosing the proactive approach for a day. Talk about your goals and dreams, about what you are grateful for, about what inspires you, what you still want to achieve in life and observe how this approach makes you feel.
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What is DREAMWORK
With our DREAMWORK project, we want to encourage reflection and discussion on how we can improve our working conditions at Saalbacher Hof and in our entire industry.
We want to bring more happiness into our lives now and not just at some point when it might be too late.
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We look forward to your comments and a lively exchange of ideas. What do you think about happiness in the workplace? What would you like to change, or what works particularly well for you?
You are welcome to post your comments below.
