Happiness Challenge – Practice
One of the things I’m enjoying about my happiness yoga flow daily practice is it grounds me to a healthy routine even when I’m traveling.
Michelle LaBrosse, CCPM, PMP, PMI-ACP, RYT
I’ve kept to my commitment to do the Happiness Yoga Flow every day – now on day 6. This daily practice is giving me an extra oomph – like this morning I got up and it was the first box checked off for the day. I felt so virtuous. Then I hopped to and met my adventure buddy at her gym for water aerobics. I am excited to prep for the weekend inspired eagle yoga and gastronomy retreat – but first, things first – do my happiness practice.
Part of my Happiness Practice today is to reflect on how my enthusiastic engagement impacts others. I recently read an article about how to avoid bad bosses. It listed five characteristics of bad managers and what to do to ferret these types out if you are in an interview. I realized I had all five characteristics. I’m thankful I run a boss free zone business. I’m a teacher and a writer – not a boss. Then I saw this quote by Thich Nhat Hahn – “When someone congratulates you or criticizes you, you can use this mantra. I have weaknesses in me and I also have strengths. If you congratulate me, I shouldn’t get lost and ignore that there are negative things in me. When we see the beautiful things in the other person, we tend to ignore the things that are not so beautiful. We are human, so we have both positive and negative things in us. So when your beloved one congratulates you, and tells you that you are the very image of perfection, you say, “You are partly right. You know that I have other things in me also.” In this way, you can retain your humility. You are not a victim of illusion because you know that you’re not perfect. And when another person criticizes you, you can also say, “You are partly right.” (Thich Nhat Hanh, How to Love).
So while my enthusiastic and engaged approach to life may inspire others, I’m not the best boss on the planet according to conventional boss standards. At least I’m happy. Do I have a responsibility to become someone I’m not though to meet some “boss standard” so others are more satisfied with how they have to associate with me? I do not think so – it’s more important I am true to who I am.
