How to Be Happy Unemployed

Can you be unemployed and happy at the same time?  Of course you can.  You may not be thrilled with the fact that you have lost your job, bills still need to be paid, resumes galore must be sent out and the third-degree type interviews are bound to happen.  However, as I have said several times on this blog, life does go on. How can you be happy while unemployed or underemployed in a world based on financial success is all in how you view your success in life.

Do not measure your success or happiness by what you have or don't have.  Success should be measured by your character and your integrity.  Good character and integrity are priceless. Oddly though financial success, or striving for it, has given way to the broken character of many men over the centuries. So what does that mean to you?  You may have lost a job, or are very under-employed, but it is your integrity along with positive character-building qualities that count. Take inventory. How does your inner core values stand up to these questions?

• Although unemployed, would you take a job that was against all your core principles or values because the money was good?
• Would you tell the truth about a matter if it meant losing your bonus?
• What comes first in your life?... God, family, money, or self?
• Do you believe good honest work at a lower pay rate is honorable if it is not illegal or immoral? Better yet, how do you view people working these type of jobs?
• Do you find yourself losing your temper more often since you lost your job?
• Are you less patient at this time in your life with your children, or your spouse?
• What positive character traits, i.e. honesty, loyalty, commitment, and sincerity do you value the most?
• Are you so consumed with your own situation that you cannot or have not shown compassion to ones in need?

Just points everyone, regardless of being employed or not, should consider. Your view of success goes hand-in-hand with happiness.  Sticking to your true core values (hopefully, they are good ones), and recognizing them, will give you contentment which equals happiness.  If you get a chance read this poem I wrote a while back. It sheds light on who we really are...  Inside Out

Yesterday's Opportunities Should Be Today's Special Moments

Well, this next year looks promising. The economy appears to have turned around.  However, if you are reading my blog you no doubt are recently unemployed or are still reaching out for that great job. What's interesting about life though is that it is in constant transition.  Things will always be changing around us--whether it's the job market, your health, or personal issues.  Over the last year significant events in my own life have required my attention. In processing this, a reminder jumped out loud and clear--put priorities first not problems.  What do I mean?

Solving and dealing with problems is just part of living.  Somehow you will continue to work through issues that arise from time to time in your life.  However, will the anxiety of handling daily problems dominate your very being?  When you become consumed with your problems, you may miss out on more important issues, opportunities and moments that you would have otherwise taken care of or happily indulged in.  Here are a few reminders:

• Have you recently called your sibling/s or parents to see how they are doing?  How much more special this is if they live many miles away?
• Have you recently checked out your pet's current health?  When you are consumed with problems, you may not recognize your beloved pet is not up to par.
• Have you neglected to carry out a promise you made to someone?
• Have you taken a walk with someone you love?
• Have you checked out your own health?  Are you taking better care of yourself today than yesterday?
• Have you visited anyone ill, elderly, or just needing encouragement? These may be moments you will never forget or get back again.
• Has spirituality been an avenue you have been putting on the back burner?
• Have you made a Living Will?  Hopefully, this doesn't sound morbid. However, it is common for many people to put this off when really it is a vital document.
• Have you recently taken a mini-vacation somewhere to relax and restore your sanity?
• Have you adjusted your eating habits to accommodate your needs and not just that of the entire family? Again, it is common for a parent to put their own needs secondary to that of the family.
• Most importantly, have you recently told your family and friends how much you love them?

Yes, you will be able to solve some but not all of your unique problems; but, do not let them consume you.  Do not miss out on the more important things.  Whether it is work or family issues, life has a way of working these things out.  Just remember yesterday's opportunities should be today's special moments.