March/April 2000

C’mon, Get Happy

The secret to happiness, according to the Wise Winged One, is to count your blessings, not your troubles. And Americans in general are graced with an abundance of blessings. In fact, we have so much going for us you’d think we’d be experts at happiness. But happiness isn’t so clear-cut, nor is it always easy to achieve.

In this issue of Duck Tales,™ we’ll examine happiness—what makes people happy, how to think positive, and how to work to overcome difficulties. Life presents us with many challenges. And sometimes we have to work at being happy just like we have to work for other goals.

Working at happiness means different things to different people. Some people need more time with family, others need to be successful in their career, and, still, others may need to feel respected and valued at work. Old Manco Duck® hopes this issue will get you thinking about your own triggers for happiness and how you can cultivate happiness in those around you.

Keeping Your Balance
If you’re ever in Kinko’s and happen to hear an employee talk about his “tripod being out of balance,” you should know that he’s not talking about one of the copy machines. He’s talking about his life.

Paul Orfalea, founder and chairman of Kinko’s—and the originator of the tripod concept—believes people must have three elements in balance to be healthy and happy: play, work, and love. When one element of the tripod becomes more important than the others, problems arise. During their orientation and training, all Kinko’s employees learn about the tripod. They are reminded of the company’s philosophy: “We trust and care for each other.” They also are encouraged to develop and balance all three aspects of their tripod and not to let work overtake the other two.

Managers routinely ask employees how their tripod is. And occasionally a worker will tell a manager her tripod is out of balance and she needs some time off for the play and love aspects of the tripod. Work, play, and love. Sounds like the ingredients to a happy, balanced life. So how’s your tripod?

Cultivating Happiness at Work
So what are the specific elements of the “work” part of the tripod that lead to happiness? One company, which aims for 90 percent employee satisfaction, asked itself that question. Born Information Systems decided to hire an outside consultant to figure out which workplace elements contributed directly to employee happiness. The company then created task teams to devise programs to meet those needs.

Here’s a look at what drives Born’s employees—and most workers across the nation:

(1) Opportunity. Today, employees want a variety of career advancement opportunities.
(2) Environment. If you have to spend most of your day in the workplace, that environment should be conducive not just to productivity, but to comfort and happiness.
(3) Achievement. This is a basic human need: Employees want to feel a continual sense of personal achievement.
(4) Reward. Many forms of recognition—from salary, to benefits, to sincere words about a job well done—are essential to employee satisfaction.
(5) Community. Peer support and friendship mean a lot to workers. They’re looking for both moral support and assistance with the technical aspects of their jobs.

Fostering Friendships
Friendship may seem like an incidental work benefit, but more and more employees are placing as much value on friendships as they are on other benefits. When you consider that the nation is experiencing its highest rate of employee turnover in two decades, it’s easy to understand the turmoil—and drop in productivity—that accompany the loss of workplace friends. “The workplace has become the social support network we used to have in our backyards over the clothesline,” says one expert.

Creating and maintaining workplace friendships is directly related to productivity. In a Gallup survey of over 400 companies, a worker’s ability to form “best” friendships at work was the strongest indicator of a highly productive workforce. The survey found organizations with low turnover and high customer satisfaction were most often those places where workers had at least one “best friend.”

Therefore, rather than discourage socializing at work, experts say businesses should help foster the growth of workplace friendships. Businesses that recognize the value of such friendships and allow employees associated privileges, such as time off to visit an ill friend, are seeing a more contented and productive workforce.

A True Advantage
Children often have their own, unique way of looking at the world—a perception that sometimes amuses us adults, sometimes makes us think, and sometimes changes our lives. Here’s a story about a 10-year-old girl, Sarah, whose positive way of looking at life can teach us all a thing or two.

One day, Sarah, who was born with a muscular problem and had to wear a leg brace all the time, came home from school and told her parents that she had participated in “field day,” an event that included races and other competitive events. While her parents were struggling to find words of encouragement about not letting defeat get her down, Sarah proudly announced, “I won two of the races!” Her parents were amazed and wanted to know more. “I had an advantage,” Sarah explained. “Ah,” her father responded, “they gave you a head start because of your brace?” “No,” said Sarah, “I didn’t get a head start—my advantage was that I had to try harder.” With sheer determination—and her own way of looking at reality—Sarah had turned her handicap into an asset. How many of us have such a positive attitude?

This young girl knew one thing that many people twice her age don’t: It all depends on your outlook. Sarah could have stayed out of the races, sulking about her brace and feeling sorry for herself. But she didn’t. She turned what most would view as a disadvantage into an advantage. She gave it her all—and ended up a true winner.

The Happiest People on Earth
When you think of happy people, you’re probably more likely to think of folks living on a sunny, tropical island than you are of people isolated in the cold North Atlantic. But, according to a Gallup poll, citizens of Iceland describe themselves as exceedingly happy. In fact, 82 percent are satisfied with their lives, versus 72 percent of Americans.

What makes this country of 268,000 people so content? After all, they must endure 20 hours of darkness each day during winter, and throughout the year they are surrounded by a cold, hostile sea, active volcanoes, and 4,536 square miles of glacier. A sociologist at the University of Iceland believes he knows what makes people happy—and tough: the hardships they endure. “Icelanders have a tolerant attitude to the problems of life,” he explains. “They don’t expect the same sort of stability often expected in other nations.” In other words, Icelanders know how to “roll with the punches.”

By living on the “land of fire and ice,” Icelanders have learned how to survive and even prosper amid difficulties. Perhaps what most sets Icelanders apart is their tolerance and acceptance. Not only do they aptly handle difficulties in their own lives, but they are known for supporting family and community members. When a person stumbles, for example, the family and community rally together to support that person rather than denounce him or her. They strongly believe in putting yourself in the other person’s shoes, and they live by that philosophy.

Lessons on Living
It took a dying man to put life in perspective for one national award-winning sportswriter. Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie, was asked by his one-time college professor, Morrie Schwartz, to share Morrie’s philosophy of living. With remarkable candor and insight, Morrie, who suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease, shared an outlook many people would envy during their healthy years, let alone their dying moments. Here’s a look at some of what Morrie, the teacher, shared with Mitch, the student, in this final class regarding lessons in living:

“Dying is only one thing to be sad over. Living unhappily is something else.” Morrie said our culture is not known for helping people feel good about themselves, because we often teach the wrong things. “And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it. Create your own.” It’s the big things, said Morrie, like how we think and what we value that you must choose yourself.

Give, give, give. Morrie said that giving to others is what made him feel alive. “Do the kinds of things that come from the heart. When you do, you won’t be dissatisfied, you won’t be envious, you won’t be longing for somebody else’s things…you’ll be overwhelmed with what comes back.”

We’re more alike than different. Morrie said, “We all have the same beginning—birth—and we all have the same end—death. So how different can we be? Invest in the human family. Invest in people.”

So, Morrie, I wish that all my Duck® friends in the world could learn from your life’s lessons.

Sincerely, Your Friend
Manco T. Duck