Whenever I’m asked to interview someone I only do it if I have a burning desire to ask that person a certain question. Peter Buffett fell into this category, so when his publicist contacted me about a possible interview I jumped on it.

I wanted to ask Peter if people were jealous that his family was rich. Being the son of Warren Buffett one of the most famous people on the planet can draw a lot of attention, positive and negative, so I was curious about his experiences.

I was amazed by Peter’s grounded nature and willingness to think before he speaks. I should have known he would be a great interview.

I recorded the interview for all of you to listen to:

Click here to listen to the Peter Buffett interview

(Right click to download the audio to your computer for later use.)

Some of the highlights in the Peter Buffett interview is:

• Happiness comes not from where you are, but your take on life.
• Money doesn’t fill those empty holes.
• Pay attention or pay with tension.
• No matter how good we think someone else has it they struggle too.
• Everyone has something to teach you. As long as you are willing to listen you will walk away from any interaction a better person.

The audio is a lot better than my highlights, so check it out when you have a chance. There are some really good gems in there to help your career and life.

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Editor’s note: this is a guest post from Michael Schnippering of Feng Shui at Work.

Feng Shui helps with a variety of different problems. It can even help with problems in the business. They give many tips on how to make a business successful and stay successful.

For example, Andrew was a small business owner who complained about having lost his level of concentration. “It all started quickly after I moved into his new office,” Andrew said.  His desk was split by two different magnetic chi fields resulting in migraines. His loss of concentration was caused by Andrew not sitting in one of his supporting directions. We moved his desk according to the principles of Feng Shui, and shortly after Andrew felt relief from the negative effects which had impacted his energies before.

1. It is good to have good back support for the back in the desk chair. Lack of support creates unneeded stress on your back. This could make a person fill strained and irritable. This could make business meetings and meeting with clients very unbearable. Good back support in desk chairs prevents these problems from occurring.

2. All clutter should be cleared from office space. Clutter brings bad Feng Shui to the office. Clutter creates confusion and chaos. It also creates unneeded and unwanted stress. Everything should be filed away and organized to help make a business successful. This also helps a person remain stress free in the work environment. Being clutter free also helps a person stay on top of their products and businesses.

3. A person should set up their office the way they feel more comfortable. Each person has their own success set up. Many Feng Shui websites tell a person their ideal set up. Having the proper set up will ensure success because the person feels relaxed in their own setting. They are more confident and ready to face everything that comes their way.

4. Placing a small potted healthy plant on the desk is a very good idea. Many healthy plants have been known to absorb toxins that are in the air. Many toxins make a person sick and unable to work. There are many healthy plans that are known as money plants. These plants are believed to ward off negative situations that may come into the person’s office.

5. A person should never set their desk facing someone another person’s desk. This leads to bad Feng Shui. It could also lead to many arguments and complications. This is especially vital to people who share an office. If they want to get along better, they need to remember not to have their desks face each other.

6. It is not a good idea to use brightly lit lights in an office. The bright lights can make a person become irritable. It can also make them work very impulsive. Lights on flat ceilings are better for lighting than ones that are dimensional.

7. A person should always keep their office space and their bedroom space separated. The bedroom is a place to sleep, and mixing it up with office space can cause insomnia or the person to be increasingly sleepy while working. If a person has to set up their office in their bedroom, they should set up a divider between the desk and the bed. This keeps both separate enough to avoid causing any problems.

8. A person should hang crystals around their office. Crystals absorb negative energies in the work space. This ensures many smooth days at work. Putting crystals on the person’s desk makes this outcome more likely.

9. It is best to only use one door in a person’s office. Even if the person has more than one door, they should keep all doors but they one they want to enter closed. This is the Feng Shui method of keeping money coming in, but not leaving.

10. A person should always carry a Jade Cicada around with them, especially in their office. The Jade Cicada keeps away confrontations in the office. It is also known to be a great source of good luck in the office.

There are many other Feng Shui methods that work well in the office space. They can be found anywhere you look online. These are some of the common ones. They are proven to work very well. Feng Shui is also been proven to help more than just office and work problems as well.

Comments? Doubts? Ask us on Twitter @fengshuiatwork

BIO: Michael Schnippering is the founder of Feng Shui at Work. After more than 12 years of practice he is committed to the true art and science of Feng Shui.

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

You may notice that it’s easier to enjoy a certain situation when in a good mood. You aren’t affected by problems as easily. This occurs because your focus is on something that keeps you happy.

Standing in line behind two young women, probably in their early twenties, at the grocery store and they were complaining about their boyfriends. Their groceries were on the conveyer belt waiting to be wrung up. They had bananas, a mango, strawberries, two types of cheeses and crackers. It looked like they were going to eat an amazing snack. They weren’t excited about this wonderful meal they were soon to make, but only worried about their awful boyfriends.

I was so focused on their conversation that I forgot about myself. I was judging them. I felt like they were whining too much. I was doing the same thing they were. I was judging them for only looking for the negative. I had glorious food about to be purchased too. This made me think about my focus at work. Some days my focus is about knocking the work out, so I can get home. This defeats the purpose of work. We aren’t meant to be robots. We were created to feel and be aware of our experiences.

Losing Focus

Last Sunday… I was so caught up in finishing my drawing of a flower with a human face on it talking to a dog about proper mouth hygiene that I missed the point of the exercise – fun, stress relief, and relaxation. Drawing is an enjoyable hobby, but sometimes I lose focus. I need to remind myself why I’m doing it.

As I was finishing my drawing I slowed down and let the moment sink in, the pure joy of creating a white sheet into a story. That’s when I had a mini revelation. I needed to relax my drive and use my focus to experience the moment and the feeling of being productive.

Relationships, Tasks and Emotions

When we’re mad at a co-worker or family member it’s all we can feel. We are so caught up in the hurricane of emotions that we forget that there are other emotions to be felt. By acknowledging the main emotion that is dominating at the moment we can learn to allow it to only suck so much of our energy. Moving the focus toward other parts of the experience we can process through the emotions faster.

Working on tasks is similar to relationships. A certain task may frustrate us, but it’s because we get too caught up in accomplishing instead of experiencing.

When we push ourselves to finish our task we are losing sight of the larger picture. We make more mistakes because we just want to be done with it. The people who allow themselves to experience the fun in the moment as well as knocking the job out will have an easier time being productive. They understand that they choose how to process the task.

Your Perspective

Most of us have seen two opposite types of people working side by side in a retail store. One is smiling and willing to go the extra mile while the other one wonders why she is tortured by life. They are really not that different, but one learned how to divide her time between finding the joy in the work, while the other one sees and endless sea of people who need, need, need.

Your career happiness will depend on your focus. You can choose to find ways to make the experience enhance your career or you can keep complaining that whatever you try only blows up in your face. Your career is all yours, keep your focus on enjoying the moment for what is, nothing more and nothing less, as well as the joy of being productive. You’ll take your work happiness to a level that will astound you and your co-workers.

Your Turn

When working on an email or finishing a report where is your focus? (i.e. finishing the email or getting to the next project)

How do you make time to enjoy the moment?

* Karl Staib is addicted to throwing Twitter Parties. If you want to learn how Twitter Parties can help your business grow click here. You can also follow Karl on Twitter and learn how to build your business by standing on other people’s shoulders.

* I loved this post, A Dick Tracy lunchbox gave me some decent advice, from Havi Brooks of the Fluent Self. The bonus part is it fits nicely with the theme of my post.

If you found this post insightful, you will probably like these too:

• Coworker Trust – Sometimes It’s Better to Give AND Receive
• What Elephants Have in Common with Gratitude

Image courtesy of Blue Square Thing

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

The winter is a time for reflection.

I used to be a very bi-polar and unhappy person. It’s why I started writing. I needed to release the crappy thoughts sitting on me like a big stinky turd, so I could move on to projects I enjoyed.

There was nothing medically wrong with me. I was just me.

It’s actually been a beautiful ride so far. I realize this after many hours of yoga, meditation and journaling. My ability to reframe a difficult situation has helped me improve my happiness by leaps and bounds.

I remember the time my first boss called me a monkey. It was a slap in the face. I literally felt the sting of pain when I heard those words.

Opinions

Just the other day that sting came back when someone commented on my YouTube video on the effects of fast food. They called me sickly and pale, but what really hurt was their opinion of me being a mentally slow narrator. There was this brief moment of “was he right?” My arch nemesis began to rip back into my thoughts.

I’m not here to let other people opinions affect how I do my work. I’m tired of trying to align myself with the masses. I tried to do it for over 20 years. Each time I tried, I missed the mark.

I’m here to help people who want my help. That’s it. I can’t waste my time on worrying about what other people think of my work. I can only be as awesome as I can be.

Vulnerability

You can’t do great work until you allow yourself to be vulnerable.  That means taking a stand and not worrying about what other people think. If you are too afraid of the jerks out there, you won’t be creating conversations with people that want to hear about what you really have to say.

You have to release your attachment to what other people are saying. Other people’s opinions aren’t you.

You need to practice letting go of people who like to drop turds on your work, so you can move on to better and bigger projects.

Today I want to start the Chest Clearing Club (CCC) so we can move on to projects that make us happy. I want people to leave comments on things that are bothering them so they can move on to the enjoyable stuff. We can’t let our pasts get in the way.

Your Turn

So what kind of work are you doing that sucks your energy?

What can you do to stop letting other people’s opinions dictate your choices?

It’s not so much creating a solution right now. Let’s identify what sucks about our careers and then figure out how to create a plan and move on to something better.

Side Note: I contributed to a really cool project called “The Great Life Philosophies.” Joe Wilner put the project together and I’m very impressed by the contributions. It’s a collection of 12 well-known bloggers who give their best advice. You can download the ebook for free here.

* Join over 1,400 people who have already subscribed to the FREE 10 part E-Course on Leveraging Your Superpowers. Learn how to discover and leverage your superpowers so you can do amazing work. (Sign up is in the top left corner)

If you found this post insightful, you will probably like these too:

• Fire Cracker, A Lousy Day and Multiply It By 7
• 6 Tips on How to Have a Productive Day at Work

Image courtesy of Salim Virji

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Michelle of Wicked Whimsy.

At any give time, there are a great amount of people who are working their current job as a “day” job or a “right now” job, while they work on their dream job or passion projects on the side. I know I’ve done my share of this, and sometimes, it’s not easy! If you feel forced into your work arrangement, it can make you resentful, angry, and unproductive at work – which doesn’t do anyone any favors, since you’re spending most of your waking hours there! If this happens to you, try using the following tips to improve your attitude & productivity at your day job.

Set goals

Instead of doing the bare minimum to get by, set aside a few minutes each week to think of ways you can go above and beyond, putting emotional labor into your work and not just “showing up”. If you’re motivated by something intrinsic (like a feeling of accomplishment) instead of extrinsic (money), your satisfaction when you complete your goals is likely to skyrocket. A great book on this topic is Linchpin, by Seth Godin.

Make a list of things your day job provides for you

Karl has written before about the power of gratitude, and this is another great example of it. Instead of thinking “My day job makes me get up early five days a week and spend 40 hours slogging away”, think of the things you couldn’t have without your day job. Try to get creative with your list – instead of saying “my apartment”, say “my two bedroom home in the heart of the art district”, or instead of saying “cat food”, say “the ability to feed my beloved pets”. Make the list as long as you can, and keep it on hand for when you start getting frustrated with work.

Make it a game

This doesn’t mean, don’t take your day job seriously – just maybe not quite as seriously. If you’re finding it impossible to have fun at your day job, make an effort to make it fun. Give yourself points for handling a customer or coworker successfully & professionally, subtract points if you don’t. At the end of the day, add up your total. If your points are above a certain number, treat yourself to your favorite meal.

Work to improve your environment

If you have control over a small amount of space, improve it. Add pictures of things that make you happy or your list of things your job provides for you. Any time you start feeling frustrated, take a deep breath and look at these things to remind yourself of the positive things your work brings into your life. Make an effort to improve your work environment in other ways as well – try instituting a no gossip rule for yourself when talking to coworkers. Gretchen Rubin recounts a tale in the Happiness Project of a friend who worked under a notoriously difficult boss. Gretchen’s friend made a rule for herself that she wasn’t going to say anything negative about her boss or his habits, and that if others were saying negative things, she’d walk away. Not surprisingly, the friend turned out much happier with her job than her coworkers, and even found herself liking her boss.

Watch your labels

This can be one of the toughest tips to follow. If you’re constantly referring to yourself – out loud or in your head – as a “wage slave”, that’s going to be reflected in your attitude and the way you act at work. Remind yourself that the place you work for is renting your time, and that your time is valuable. If you feel like the title your place of employment gives you isn’t very empowering – say, secretary, or sales associate – think of a spin on it that does make you feel good (instead of secretary, try administrative assistant).

There’s five ways to start improving your attitude & productivity at your job right away. What are your favorite ways to flip a negative work attitude around?

Michelle is a rainbow haired freelance writer & blogger located in Austin, TX. She writes about life creation for thoughtful renegades at Wicked Whimsy. You can sign up for her free e-course, Finding Yourself 101, here.

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* You may want to check out How to Discover Your Superpowers over at my marketing blog Super Power Coach. It’s a lot easier to have a great attitude and stay productive when you are doing work you enjoy, gets you in the zone, and plays to your strengths.

If you found this post insightful, you will probably like these too:

• Your Attitude and How it Affects Your Career
• How Transitions Can Dramatically Improve Your Productivity

Image courtesy of Dunechaser

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

As my 1 Sentence Journal fills up I’m beginning to see my happiness patterns. For example when I start writing early in the day I can get my thoughts on this track that allows me to write in large quantities. I plant the seed early and I can’t let go. I almost always end up surprising myself with my productivity levels.

I never would have discovered this if I hadn’t taken the time to contemplate my workday. You don’t need to meditate in the typical sense to enjoy the benefits of contemplation. The idea is to find a way to relax your thoughts and be in the now, so you can improve just a little bit each day.

Habits

A big portion of my happiness felt anchored to how much I could write/create, especially on the weekends when I needed to get a bulk of my writing accomplished. Understanding my process allowed me to bring clarity to what made me happy.

Adding the one sentence journal helped me expose some hidden happiness that I hadn’t expected.

The older I get and the closer to death I get less likely I am to fool myself into sticking with the same old patterns. My fear just doesn’t have a strangle hold on my emotions like they used to. I’m much more willing to expose the lies that I hold on to, so I can make positive changes.

Excerpts from my one sentence journal:

3-20-10 – I had trouble staying focused, still need to work on relaxing with my work.

4-12-10 – My mind was scattered trying to focus my energy on how to reach my right people. I was grumpy and frustrated. My mind was focused on my mistakes instead of the possibilities that I could create.

5-25-10 – Planning my day each morning is very important. Helps me stay focused.

6-15-10 – Called out sick because I had Saturday hours, got some good work done. Nice to have the house to myself so I could stay focused.

10-19-10 – Got some little stuff done. Need to stay focused on big picture.

12-11-10 – I was a little disappointed in myself this Saturday. I need to get my work done so I can hang out with the family on Sunday. I putzed around and when I did work I wasn’t very focused. I don’t think the two beers and green helped very much.

This is only a small portion of my 1 Sentence Journal. There were many patterns that I found and improved. To help me keep my focus I’ve implemented the technique I talked about, Doing the Important Stuff Early.

I also implemented two other techniques:

• Review big picture each week and each month. This helps me get my focus back on track. I use my 1 Sentence Journal to do this as well. (Macro)
• When doing singular tasks I use an egg timer to stay on task. As long as my egg timer is counting down I refuse to check out my Twitter account or my email. (Micro)

I know myself. When I’m productive I’m happy. I love knocking out an ebook, e-course or interviewing someone. It makes me proud. That’s time well spent.

You

You probably hold back from happiness to placate others or because of your fear. It’s natural. I still do it. The thing is – what are you doing to expose these lies you are telling yourself?

If you love getting your creative work done early why are you putting it off until the afternoon? If you hate doing to Sunday Brunch with the Stewarts and their annoying kid then why do you do it? If you hate cold calling why do you do it?

We know what we need to do to be happy, but for some reason we don’t do it until we see the patterns for ourselves and feel enough pain to take action.

You have to find a way to stimulate yourself to ask yourself these tough questions. It’s the only way you will expose your willingness to accept the unhappiness. No one likes to ask and answer these tough questions. I understand that, but what is the alternative? You can’t go on living in unhappiness.

I couldn’t do it any longer. I had to expose the lies I was telling myself so I could open myself to changing my bad habits.

What things do you do now that makes you happy? (i.g. Eat fried food during lunch or cold calling customers.)

What changes have you made to improve your happiness? (i.g. You go to the gym during lunch or you only make warm calls to people who already know you.)

* Need a boost to your work happiness? Then check out the Happy at Work Project and start one yourself.

* I’m co-hosting the Book Yourself Solid Twitter Party this Thursday with Michael Port. Come check it out and win some cool prizes. Did I mention it’s free.

If you found this post insightful, you will probably like these too:

• Is Work Stress Hurting Your Family Life?
• What You and a Hermit Crab have in Common

Image courtesy of Policardo

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

2010 is almost over and it’s been a very memorable year.

We’ve expanded our superpowers. We’ve found new ways to make people happy at work. We’ve found ways to take setbacks and use them make us stronger.

You’ve hopefully taken your happiness to the next level and kept it there. I can’t wait for 2011, but before we get there I would like to reminisce about 2010.

Here are 10 articles that I loved writing and seemed to strike a chord with the WHN readers:

1. How to Discover Your Superpowers

A lot of people have been asking me, “What exactly is a superpower?” It’s time I gave you an answer.

So, over the past couple months I’ve talked a lot about developing your superpowers, but I never explained how to figure out what your superpowers are in the first place. The best way for me to do this is to start by asking you a few questions.

Click here to read more>>

2. Your Attitude and How it Affects Your Career

Have you ever noticed how positive people are more resilient?

Lately I’ve been thinking about the importance of attitude. Back in 2009, I put myself on a no complaining dietfor 30 days. It was a tough and enlightening experience. I realized how much I complained and that I needed to do something to change.

Click here to read more>>

3. The Law of Attraction and Your Career

The Law of Attraction (LoA) gets a bad rep because of cheesy YouTube Videos and terrible books. They want to make the concept simple and enticing, but in doing so they lose much of the life changing impact that the practice can have. I didn’t believe until I started believing. Imagine that.

We are who we think we are and that’s how we accomplish our goals. If we don’t believe we can write a great book, hike the Appalachian trail, or create a career that will make us so happy that we can’t believe our luck then it won’t happen.

Click here to read more>>

4. How to Discover Your Career Bliss

If you can’t connect to the work that you are doing, either it doesn’t fit with your needs or you aren’t trying. Some people have an aptitude for math, writing, history, science, computers, etc. They gravitate toward these things because they vibrate their soul.

I know I may be losing some of you here because of this “new age” vibrational talk, but that’s ok. I know I can’t win all of you over with each post. A lot of you really need this information, so I’ll continue.

Click here to read more>>

5. How to Feng Shui Your Workspace

Want to improve both your productivity and happiness level? It’s time to feng shui your workplace. Feng shui is a practice that will help you design your environment so that it brings the best of you out. By following the 10 practical feng shui tips listed below, you can increase your productivity, your positive energy, and your working experience.

Click here to read more>>

6. How Cancer has Changed My Life

I was told by my urologist that there is a 98% chance that I have cancer. Even writing that sentence makes me feel sick to my stomach. The shock shakes me from my inside out.

I don’t know whether to go and cry or to be strong. I want to do both and I have tried both.

Click here to read more>>

7. You Need Mind Numbing Work

Have you ever enjoyed mind numbing work?

You need work that’s not going to weigh down your brain. A heavy brain gets tired. On the other hand, a slightly distracted brain is a light brain that can work on other problems.

Click here to read more>>

8. My Arch Nemesis Dr. Oatzel Almost Stole My Superpowers

As I improve my business I realize that I have a lot of fear.

Fear of people hating my stuff.

Fear of people laughing at my ideas.

Fear of not earning enough money.

Fear of not giving enough value.

As I work on hugging my fears, learning from them, then releasing them I become more powerful.

Click here to read more>>

9. 7 Simple Ways to Live Your Passions

Why do you choose to get out of bed in the morning?

You may do it because of:

> Love
> Habit
> Fear
> Excitement
> Obligation
> Dedication

Whatever gets you out of bed, it’s enough to keep you moving forward. At what point do you ask yourself…

Am I happy with my career?

Click here to read more>>

10. 10 Common Career Mistakes

I’ve made the mistake of feeling helpless and I don’t want you to feel the same way.

The list below was created to help remind you to stay in control of your career and not give up on designing the career of your dreams.

Click here to read more>>

Each year I try to bring more happiness than the year before. If there is a topic that you would like me to cover, please leave a comment or if you are little too shy please email directly at karl (AT) workhappynow (DOT) com.

Thanks for all your support and love. I hope we make 2011 even more amazing than 2010.

* Need help leveraging your superpowers? Then check out my Superpower Coaching to see how I can help you feel happier, become more productive, and feel less stressed out.

* One of the best parts about having a blog is having a wide range of products I get to review. As you know I don’t talk about a lot of products because I don’t want to be that overbearing blogger who pushes other people’s crap. So you know when I tell you about something cool like Adam of Man Vs Debt’s Sell Your Crap it’s worth your time. He created an amazing product that outlines how to sell your crap on ebay, Amazon and Craigslist. If you want to simplify your life and put some cash back in your pocket this product is for you. I’m not even an affiliate for this product. I just want you to know about it.

Image courtesy of Skies for me

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

I’ve had some real “fire cracker explodes in your hand” kind of days. You know those days when you take a chance and it back fires in your face.

The old Karl (before Work Happy Now) usually got all depressed and sulked for days on end when I had a lousy day. I now practice being happy at work. I don’t put up with a lousy day any longer.

I’ve learned how to let the pain go and move on.

Last Week

I was stuck working on some reports. I couldn’t get the data to match up and I was freaking out. My hands were sweating, I was feeling hot flashes from my anger, and I was unable to focus. My day kept getting worse and worse. I got a phone call from a client who was in desperate need of help.

How could I help when I was freaking out myself? I told her that I would call her back in 20 minutes.

I decided to step outside and sprint down the block (well nowadays with my old man legs it’s more like a fast jog) until I ran out of breath. It was a lousy day multiplied by 7. It was some kind of shit storm that came out of nowhere.

When I got back inside I called the client back, gave her two good options and then I felt this calm come over me.

That phone call took the stress off of me and made me focus on someone else.

Keys

It was like God handed me a key to my own brain. I’ve actually known this trick for a long time, but it never fully registered. I have a good feeling that I’ll forget again and I’ll need to go for a sprint again, but that’s just who I am.

By shifting my focus on to helping this client, I got out of my own emotional shit storm. It was beautiful.

I know that I teach about happiness and should have 10 tools at my disposal at any given time, but for some reason I couldn’t let go until I called my client back.

Turn the Focus Outward

Next time you are caught in a shit storm, stop whatever you are doing, sprint 100 yards and then help someone else with their problem.

When you get back to your own problem, you’ll have a clear mind and a relaxed heart.

Your Turn

What do you do when you are having a lousy day?

Do you marinate in it or do you find a way to turn it around?

* Need a boost to your work happiness? Then check out the Happy at Work Project and start one yourself.

* Been wanting to start a blog, but don’t know where to start? Check out my friend Johnny’s offer of helping you set-up a blog for free. He’s not doing it because he is Mother Teresa, he profits from hooking you up with hosting. You have to pay this anyway so may as well get a free blog set-up out of it. The offer ends today – December 19th.

If you found this post insightful, you will probably like these too:

> Are Friendships the Key to Workplace Happiness?

> 6 Tips on How to Have a Productive Day at Work

Image courtesy of Wes & Eli

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

I’ve made the mistake of feeling helpless and I don’t want you to feel the same way.

The list below was created to help remind you to stay in control of your career and not give up on designing the career of your dreams.

1. Do everything your boss asks you.

2. Telling yourself that your job is just a job, so you don’t care too much about it.

3. Not networking with people in your field.

4. Wishing that you had a better job and not building your resume to actually get that job.

5. Not taking breaks to recharge your mental batteries.

6. Isolating yourself from your co-workers.

7. Not seeking out other people’s help on big projects. (i.e. thinking you can do it all on your own.)

8. Allowing interruptions (meetings, phone calls, and internet) to stop your work flow.

9. Not using your favorite superpower every single day. (e.g. asking great questions. That’s my favorite superpower.)

10. Worrying too much about how much money you make instead of the impact you have on other people.

What would you add to the list?

* Nathan Hangen and I created an e-course called Fear to Fuel to help people face their arch nemesis and do creative work that they love. If you are interested in taking your passion to the next level, click here to check out the free bonuses we put together for you.

* Do you read e-books? I enjoy a good business e-book every now and again. I don’t like to read on my computer for extended periods of time, but short books are fantastic. Click here to check out what J.D. of Get Rich Slowly thinks about them.

If you found this post insightful, you will probably like these too:

> How to Find Career Fulfillment

> What Would You do Differently in Your Career?

Image courtesy of twenty_questions

Download the Free eBook Work Happy the Google Way * Post from: Work Happy Now!

Did you know that elephants travel the same long journey every year?

They do. They do it because they know when the fruit will falls from the trees, so they can eat them when they are perfectly fermented and able to get a little tipsy. I forget the name of the kind of African elephant that does this, but believe me it’s true.

They only do this once a year because they have the discipline to appreciate the moment then move on.

Getting Unstuck

So many of us get stuck back in our habits and forget the power of gratitude. We forget that every moment there is a chance to appreciate where we are, what we are doing, and who we are with.

No career is perfect. No life is perfect. I’m prime example of that after discovering I have testicular cancer. I refuse to capitalize cancer because it doesn’t deserve it.

Every day there is a chance for me to see the “lousy” that is in my life, but I refuse to do this. I practice being the captain of my attitude.

Riding a Elephant

Your attitude can be like an unruly elephant, tossing you 10 feet in the air. It’s up to you to get back on, grab those reigns, and ride that beautiful beast until it gives in.

You have to practice gratitude at every chance you can remember.

> When you are stuck on an airplane that won’t take off due to weather.

> When the baby next to you is screaming its little red face off.

> When your Uncle is telling the worst Thanksgiving joke ever.

> When your back won’t stop aching.

> During the night when you can’t fall asleep and you have a huge day ahead of you.

> After your boss yells at you for messing up an account.

> When a client won’t call you back and you have no idea what you did wrong.

You have to practice when it’s the hardest because the more you practice the easier it gets. When you appreciate the moment you are making it easier to improve your situation.

No situation is perfect, but there is beauty always hidden within it if you try to find it.

When you are feelings down and there are hidden things to be grateful for. Remember that the elephant moves on and so should you. Focus back on those things that you enjoy.

Just like the elephant travels it’s journey so do you. Know that with every season is a new chance to improve your attitude and make it easier to be happier in your career and personal life.

The Takeaway

The best way to improve your attitude is to make gratitude a daily habit. At the end of each day think of all the great people, actions, and feelings you’ve had. It’s there somewhere. I promise.

Your Turn

I would love if you had 1 minute to share what you are grateful for today in the comment section. Remember it can be anything. We aren’t here to judge, just support.

Happy Thanksgiving!

* Need a boost to your work happiness? Then check out the Happy at Work Project and start one yourself.

* An amazing post on Gratitude over at Jeff Walker’s blog – The discipline of gratitude. Quality stuff. It encouraged me to post this piece.

If you enjoyed this post then you will probably like these too:

> One Sentence Work Journal

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Image courtesy of vtveen

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