Breaking News: It lives a little happy golden retriever puppy inside all of us! We just need to nurture it and find environments and people that feed it. The right surroundings to support it, bringing it out.
I don’t think people wake up in the morning with the aim of making life miserable for everyone they meet. No, I believe that bitterness, anger, and frustration stem from not being seen, loved and respected by either their family, peers or their employer – or even by society as a whole!
We humans are wired to work together. We are social creatures, with a strong urge to belong to a pack, to a community. It was the key to survival hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Today we technically don’t need a family or to be part of a community to survive per se. We can sit at home, alone, working remotely etc. But just because technology has leapfrogged doesn’t mean that we humans have.
To be successful in the field of happiness, we need to do some introspection. What values do you have? What matters to you? What makes your heart sing? And then navigate towards those things, people, experiences or environments.
Being aware of the golden retriever within can help you tremendously in your everyday life. Do you have a grumpy neighbor? Well, instead of getting dragged down by their bad energy, you can just take a step back and think – he/she is probably not fully content in one (or more) areas of their life. And you can separate yourself from the situation and walk away with your energy level intact. Or if you feel brave and compassionate, perhaps ask what’s going on. Maybe the person doesn’t have anyone to talk to?
I use the golden retriever within a lot at work. Because what experience has taught me over the years is that frustrated colleagues are sometimes diamonds in the rough. They are brilliant at what they do, but frustrated that no one sees them, acknowledges them, and give them credit for their hard work.
Or are you reading this and realizing that you have been quite grumpy lately – now what is that all about? Have you been neglected? If so, how can you get to the nitty gritty of the situation and speak up for yourself. Maybe the people around you are completely unaware of how their behavior has affected you?
I even use the golden retriever within when coaching founders and business owners. For them it is about attracting top talents that are aligned with their values, people that would fit perfectly in their organizations. How can you build a strong company culture as a recruitment super tool? Recruitment processes can be both tedious and expensive, not to mention the cost of staff turnover and the disruption of productivity it also brings.
Building a compassionate corporate culture is key. Creating an environment where people are seen and respected. Hold your team accountable for their work, and give credit to them for a job well done. Growth and prosperity comes from feedback and iteration.
Happy, inspired and dedicated co-workers – happy founders – happy families – happy communities. Win-win for all. And it is so simple! Just start paying attention to the people around you, and recognize that it lives a little golden retriever puppy inside us all!
