Happiness Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Motivational Speeches and books by Snowden McFall

Get People Fired Up by Expressing Gratitude

Praise Others and Say Thank You

According to the US. Department of Labor, 46% of all people who quit do so because they felt they are not appreciated for the work they do. According to James Howard, 92% of workers say that when they finish a project, their supervisors say NOTHING! 88% of American workers never get a thank you for the work they do.

Now obviously, you are not that kind of leader or manager, but this data speaks to the very real need for positive feedback, often and in writing. Employees need to know you value their ideas and work. Be sure to be specific about what they did and let them know you value them. A simple quick praise on a post-it note, a hand-written card, or a laudatory email sent and copied to others make a big difference. A $5 Starbucks card has big impact. Stock up on small items your people value and use them often. In this day of tough economies, you might not be able to give them a raise, but you can give them a well deserved thank-you.

Make it part of your internal retention strategy to actively acknowledge others’ efforts. The rewards will be substantial.

 ©2011 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved. No duplication

Celebrating Small Successes for Stress Relief & Happiness

At the end of each day, record 10 small successes you’ve had that day. Anything you intended to do and did is a success. Catch yourself in the act of doing things right and see how much
happier and more fulfilled you are.

My birthday is in July and it was a joy to celebrate twice, once with women friends at lunch and then at a party my husband threw for me. Celebrating life’s little moments of success and joy is so important to our stress levels, happiness and overall performance at work. It’s rare that the huge successes happen; what matters is to acknowledge all the small achievements you have every day.

I love this quote from Norman Lear:

“Success is how you collect your minutes.
You spend millions of minutes to reach one triumph,
one moment,
then you spend maybe a thousand minutes
enjoying it.
If you are unhappy through those millions of minutes,
what good are the thousands of minutes of triumph?
It doesn’t equate.
Life is made up of small pleasures,
Happiness is made up of those tiny successes.
The big ones come too infrequently.
If you don’t have all those
zillions of tiny successes,
the big ones don’t mean anything.”
Norman Lear

Here’s a tip: at the end of each day, record 10 small successes you’ve had that day. Anything you intended to do and did is a success. Catch yourself in the act of doing things right and see how much
happier and more fulfilled you are.

The Fraud Syndrome- Does it Plague You?

One of the interesting things about success is that many people don’t feel they are worthy of it. In fact, they judge themselves harshly for past mistakes and use that as a reason to feel like a fraud when they achieve key goals or levels of success. Sometimes they end up sabotaging themselves and limiting their growth, all subconsciously. One of the keys to overcoming the fraud syndrome is authenticity.

Be Authentically Yourself

Watching the tv show “The Glee Project,“ what struck me most was how the producer and casting agent wanted these talented young people to be just BE THEMSELVES. All too often, people feel they have to fit into some mold to succeed. We think we have to achieve a certain degree, look a particular way, dress in special clothes to be accepted and loved.

And the truth is the opposite. When you are truly yourself, you are your most loveable and approachable. As people age, they tend to relax more and more, caring less about what others think of them. That is incredibly liberating. As Emerson wrote, “To thine own self, be true.” Live life according to your values and principles, be the wonderful, unique and gifted person that you are and share the best of yourself with others. The world will be a poorer place if you don’t.

@2011 Snowden McFall.  All Rights Reserved. No duplication without permission

Take Responsibility for Your Energy

Like many people, I recorded the finale of the Oprah Winfrey show. Rather than have guests, she gave us a keynote speech filled with incredible wisdom. I’ve shared some of those nuggets below with suggestions for how you can implement them at work. One of my favorites is “Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.” How can you prepare for that window of opportunity in your life?

Oprah has inspired millions for decades, and yet managed to make each one of us feel like we mattered to her. Quite a feat, quite a remarkable woman

What Energy are You Sending Out?

Oprah’s also shared about brain specialist Jill Taylor, the author of My Stroke of Insight. This compelling book chronicles her journey from massive stroke to full recovery.

I read it recently when my father had a stroke and it gave me great insight. Jill said “Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into my space.” Doctors who treated her as though she wasn’t there discouraged her; those who looked her in the eye and encouraged her made a world of difference.

So the question is, what kind of energy do you bring into the space of others? It is upbeat, confident, compassionate, or is it critical, impatient, demanding? Think about how you can make a difference in the energy you carry. Also consider what energy comes into your life from others; you may want to limit your exposure to negative

people who complain and disparage others.

@2011 Snowden McFall.  All Rights Reserved. No duplication without permission

Burnout Prevention Tip: Just Say No

An especially effective way to politely decline an invitation for leadership or board work is to say ” I only want to give you 100% effort and right now, I can’t do that with all my other commitments. Please ask me again next year and I can re-evaluate.” People appreciate your candor and would rather have you at your best.

Have you ever noticed that people who aren’t busy all the time never seem to get burnt-out? That’s because somewhere along the way, they learned how to say no.

It’s actually a very important skill to cultivate, especially if you have a busy work life and want to have a good family life. How many nights are you out in the evening, at work or community -related events? An excess of two nights a week starts to tax your energy and your family life.

So if you’re already feeling pressured and exhausted, start saying no. The next time someone asks you to do something new, to take on additional responsibility, even to attend a new social event, politely decline. Explain that you’re overtaxed right now, that you appreciate the invitation, but you need to take care of yourself and cut back on your time away from home. Most everyone will accept that.

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: https://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

@2011 Snowden McFall.  All Rights Reserved. No duplication without permission

How Happy Are You? Greater Joy Starts With YOU!

You may think that when you get to a certain level of income, or find the right life partner, that you will be truly happy. But the research shows just the opposite is true. You need to be happy first, and then the success, relationships and accomplishment will come.

The latest research out of Harvard on happiness is that the most successful business people, entrepreneurs, doctors and workers are happy first. Our brains are actually wired to work at maximum creativity, resilience and effectiveness when we are in a state of relaxation and joy. Consider this:

• Doctors put in a positive state before diagnosing show 3x more intelligence and creativity & make diagnoses 19% faster than doctors in a neutral state.

• Optimistic salespeople sell 56% more than pessimists. (Are your salespeople optimists?)

• Happy students far outperform their peers on tests.¹

So how can you get happier?

The old maxim “what you put your focus on manifests” is entirely true. When I was researching and writing my book on stress, I was very attuned to stress; it was my focus. And so, I attracted more of it into my life (subconsciously, of course.) During the year preceding my stress book being published, my sister–in-law died of melanoma, three girlfriends battled cancer and I faced some significant dental issues.

The contrary is also true. Since I have been researching happiness, the quality of my life is significantly better. My husband got a great new job 7 months ago, my friends are coping well with their illnesses. I still have some dental issues but they are being handled easily and effectively. I am the one who made the switch to be happier, and you can, too.

If you’ve been worrying about paying your bills, getting more business, or your health, a much better use of your time and energy would be to focus on getting happy.

Your health and cash flow will improve in direct proportion to your genuinely positive attitude and optimistic perspective.

Here are 3 quick ways to increase your happiness

1. Celebrate your successes- large and small. Create a victory wall at work where you post achievements of any level- articles that have been published about you, your people or your company, progress on work goals. Praise others publicly and specifically, and encourage them to do the same.

2. Find something to look forward to. In one study, people who just thought about watching their favorite movie had an increase of 27% in endorphins- just from thinking about it. Every time something stressful occurs, think about what you are looking forward to and shift your state of mind.

3. Do something you love to do for fun at least 3 times a week. Schedule in your favorite activities and don’t give them up- they will make a huge difference in how you joyful you are and how successful you are at work.

Your life can thrive in all areas, but you need to thrive first. Take the time to really focus on your own happiness and see how it impacts everything!

1. (Data from the book The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor)