Can Work Make You Happy? Should It? 

HAPPINESS ESSENTIALS. 1. Something to do 2. Something(someone) to love 3. Something to hope for. -Ikigae The Japanese secret to a long and happy life.

Yes, studies have shown that happiness (at work or at home) comes from knowing that you have meaningful purpose in what you are doing, having some type of control in your life, and having a few close relationships. And those same studies show this is true regardless of wealth. His description of the coffee builds all three. See the John Stossel video on happiness for more references.

That’s why when people have kids they feel a sense of purpose and happiness. A literal human is dependent on you for survival, what can be more rewarding then that.

Work can give us happiness if we feel deeply engaged with both our work and the organization we work for. If we are excellent at our work but go unrecognized / unappreciated / under-appreciated, it can actually lead to burnouts. Organizations need to create an environment where all employees (every function) feels adequately appreciated for their contribution to the growth of the organization. This also includes the work culture within the organization. Have seen many corporate firms who value certain functions (typically their sales & marketing teams) far more than they appreciate their other functions (typically the low-profile IT folks) who don't 'market' themselves as well as certain other similar functions do, such as HR. If the very function is underappreciated by an organization, there's no way an employee within that function can ever feel happy with his/her work.

Engaging and satisfying absolutely. Far too many people are in thankless and boring jobs and it makes for a really unhappy experience.

We spend a lot of time at work so it’s not a surprise that we tend to identify our happiness with work, thus recognizing and appreciating your teams if you are a manager is so critical.

Greatness is in SERVICE.💥

This was extremely helpful to me today. I realize what’s missing now- and I’m hoping it’s not too late to turnaround the learned helplessness brought on my Covid’s isolation (it turned out to be permanent in my Company. We went fully remote.) Im also on my 4th manager change in 2 years. I write and illustrate training courses, and I never even know if people took the courses I wrote or not. Work does feel as though it’s meaningless.

I like this person

Thank you for sharing

Thanks for sharing this

Thanks for sharing

This might very well be the most important video someone of working age could watch

Thank you

A high cost of living may cloak the trap of this misconception and the trap it lays out. This is the seeming discord in clarifying that a high salary doesn't always equate to a meaningful, diverse quality of life. Maslow's basic needs seem to equate to happiness when baseline needs make you hungry and desperate for safety.

How can I get a coffee for my cubicle neighbor remotely 🙃

Layne Island

If you love what you do....work can make you very happy!

Well hello there, Don Draper.

This talk presents a powerful perspective on work and happiness! 🌟 The key takeaway is that true happiness at work comes from two essential elements: earned success and serving others. Many people mistakenly believe that external markers of success-like money, power, and job titles-will bring happiness, but that’s not the case. Instead, we should focus on creating value in our work and being recognized for it, while also finding ways to help others. When we feel our jobs matter and contribute positively to someone else’s life, it brings genuine joy. Let’s strive to make our work meaningful and impactful!

yeah im not being submissive at work

giving your life away to the affairs of others for pennies on the dollar is a shameful disgrace that should be stopped as early as possible.

Basically bosses need to think about appreciating employee.

I completely agree. Whenever I hear about happiness, I can’t help but think of "The Soul" and Joe Gardner jazzing around, challenging the idea that everyone has just one singular purpose they must find to be happy. That’s not really the case. It’s about living life authentically and embracing all the moments, like buying a coffee for a colleague, building relationships, helping others. It’s all about just jazzing around and finding joy in the little things.