In my reading, I came upon five rules for happiness developed by Ray Chambers. The rules are:
Live in the moment: This is very hard for many of us as we are usually focused on what we want to do, as opposed to what we are doing. Particularly in this age of multitasking, it is difficult to be present. If you are not truly paying attention, you can miss a lot of what is truly important.
It’s better to be loving than to be right: In the heat of the moment, it is very easy to lose sight of the long-term, what really matters, and to get wrapped up in something much less important. The health of the relationship is much more important than one party being right.
Be a spectator to your own thoughts: The bigger the space between a stimulus and your response allows you to make a better decision about how to respond. Noticing what you are thinking/feeling instead of immediately reacting to those stimuli allow you to be more the person you want to be. Doing so allows you to live with fewer regrets.
Be grateful for at least one thing every day: This is hard for an entrepreneur to do. You are always focused on the future, what is next. The fuel that drives your company is positive feedback. Giving it to others is powerful. Giving it to yourself is spectacular.
Help others every chance you get: By doing so you model the behavior you expect from all those you work with. Giving with no expectation of getting anything in return changes the environment of a company in a dynamic way.
At first glance, these rules seem obvious and rather trite. To get beyond that, simply try putting into place some of the practices embedded in the rules. See what happens. You, your employees, your clients, and your family members might like the results!
—Paul Winans, a veteran remodeler, now works as a facilitator for Remodelers Advantage, and as a consultant to remodeling business owners. Contact him at [email protected].
