Happy is not an ending, Activate a short memory

Happy is not an ending
Activate a short memory

“With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.” ~ Desiderata

The gray areas. We are surrounded by them. And it is still a beautiful world.

No one knows what you are going through

A layoff that came two weeks before Christmas.
An invisible illness.
No warning for no year-end bonus.
Running a single parent household.
Playing by the book and having your salary stall.
Helping a loved one with an addiction.
Finalizing a divorce.
Functioning in a relentless pandemic.

And it is still a beautiful world

In the strong words of Margaret Houlihan, “How *dare* you stand there and act like your brand of suffering is worse than anybody else’s.”

You cannot truly know how much someone else has on their plate. As others do not know what is on yours.

It is nice to think that those who need the most help would receive it. To think that those who are most deserving will be restored.

However, you can find lots of evidence that is not always what happens.

And as a result, gratefulness does not often come easy. And ambition and motivation can languish.

Yet sometimes the right people do get the right rewards. And most things are neither all good nor all bad.

In the face of the ever-present unfairness of life, there is ALWAYS something to strive for, the mystery of karma.

Your choice can be to strive. Choose not to let anyone bring you down when you celebrate your successes.

Are you wondering what that means for your career, for the people you lead, for job search?

It means this — if you feel you are expected to act as a trouper all of the time, when being upbeat and conquering are the last things on your mind: Don’t act. Be.

Be your most professional self by maintaining respect and redeploying the following steps as necessary.

Acknowledge the inequities.
Appreciate that they will never be measured.
Activate a short memory after learning from a bad experience.

Here’s the reminder for 2022: You must do you the best that you can. Drop the “it’s not fair” thoughts from life as best you can. Do only things worth doing, and do them the best that you can.

If something is not on your top ten or bucket list, be civil to all concerned then let it go.

Because, you have the power to strive to be happy. Own your brand of happiness. Happy is not an ending; it is a continuing endeavor.

In your endeavors, consider helping when you can

See a job that’s a perfect fit for a friend? Share it.
Asked to provide a recommendation? Respond in a timely fashion.
Know someone looking for a job? Reach out to your network on their behalf.
Want to help a job seeker? Offer to review their resume.
Know a company is hiring? Share the post.

And this year, as in previous years, we want to direct you to the Desiderata.

It is a place to go for recharging in a beautiful world. You can read it below.

GO PLACIDLY amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.