“There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.”
~Khalil Gibran
You know that colleague who seems to always have a smile on their face. Who seems to always be willing to help you – and nearly everyone else – with a project. Who seems to be able to face whatever is going on with a sense of determination and also an even-keelness.
The one who seems to give with joy and to have joy as their reward.
I had a client – let’s call her Sue – who was like this for everyone on her team. Well, she wasn’t always like this, but sometime in the midst of our coaching relationship, she decided she wanted to become that person. So we actively worked on it.
She had been through a lot both personally and professionally at that point. She had faced some health challenges and so felt inspired to approach her life and work differently going forward. And she’d had a challenging boss for a few years and was tired of letting that person and situation drain her energy and her happiness.
She decided she wanted to instead have more joy as her reward, so she decided to become that person.
We mapped out her path forward with a few simple, though perhaps not easy, steps, that anyone can follow if they want:
- Be realistic and optimistic – We talked about our brain’s negativity bias that we need to counter against, as well as the need to be realistic and not completely “Pollyanna-ish.” To condition our brains to see the good and focus more on the good. This helps us give with more joy.
- Look for the good – It can be so easy to get frustrated by others or to assume bad intentions or selfish motives. To wonder why they can’t be more understanding of you. But we can look for what’s right about a situation or person, and this opens our brains up to different possibilities, as it helps us give with more joy.
- Make room for other perspectives – We can get caught in our own needs or points of view, but when we open our minds to others’ perspectives, and even go out of our way to put ourselves in their shoes, we are again, more open to other possibilities. We are also more likely to work and live more easily with others, and to give with more joy.
It is possible to be that person who gives with joy and has joy as their reward. Try these steps, and let us know how it goes.
How have you learned to give with more joy?
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If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
If you want more joy as your reward, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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