Winning Words 10/5/12
“We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry.”  (E.B. White)  Forbes Magazine had an article on the 10 jobs that make people happy.  All of them listed were “helping” professions.  The jobs most hated were those where the work seemed pointless.  Do you recall “Whistle While You Work,” the song from Snow White?  Attitude makes a difference.    ;-)  Jack

 FROM MT IN PENNSYLVANIA:  E.B.White is on track, although the Forbes article was not entirely on target. Our research and our technology (The Gabriel Institute) show that different people are made happy by doing different things. What makes a person happy (it turns out) is doing something that is aligned with his or her personal sense of meaningful contribution to meeting team, group, or organizational needs. Thus, one person may find sorting laundry worthwhile (in that context) and another may not. This does not diminish the importance of attitude!  One can certainly choose to accept and enjoy and be grateful for whatever comes along. Have a happy day.  :-)////FROM JACK:  Forbes, or not:  People seem to be happy when they're helping other people, and people don't seem to be happy when there seems to be no reason for what they're being asked to do.  I'm doing what I want to do.

 FROM IKE AT THE MIC:  You remind me of a quote that I use in some of my seminars: "You show me a man who whistles while he works & I'll show you a man who has thought of someone else to blame it on".. ////FROM JACK:  You've reminded me of the song, "Blame It On The Bossa Nova."  Can you whistle it?

 FROM PC IN MICHIGAN:  Amen. Do what you love and the rest will follow.////FROM JACK:  When I retired, my daughter gave me a computer program of positive sayings.  That led me to send out some of them to friends...which led to Winning Words...which I enjoy.  I don't know if "love" is the word for it.

 FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  My wise parents always said, "If you want to feel better, help someone."  I'm sure they weren't the first ones to say it.  I hear "Whistle While You Work" all the time. It's Alyssa's favorite movie.////FROM JACK:  The other day, as I was leaving the grocery store, a man was coming in, and he was whistling.  Do people ever whistle while they work...anymore?

 FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER:  Altitude also makes a difference according to Al Gore.////FROM JACK:  I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but it's probably something negative.  You got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.

 FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I think of JOY being over-the-top happiness, which is usually not the case in most things we do,  but is rare and wonderful when we can experience it!  My JOYS often are family or travel related...  I loved the WW  dealing with God being aware of  all the itty bitty, teeny-tiny parts our lives. That is a JOY!!////FROM JACK:  I like Joy to the World by Isaac Watts.  I also like Joy to the World by Three Dog Night.////OAKS:  I LOVE JOY TO THE WORLD! Watts did not write it for a Christmas hymn, actually but that's what it became.  I sometimes surprised people by using it as an opening hymn  at other times of the year, when I was Music Director at church. (volunteer, of course! :-)////JACK:  What?  No comment on Three Dog Night?  "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog" sounds churchy...at least the Jeremiah part. ////OAKS:  YES, I MEANT TO SAY I, TOO, LOVE THE THREE DOG NIGHT SONG, JOY TO THE WORLD...MY CHOIR KIDS IN SCHOOL LOVED TO SING THAT, AND I HAD THE ACCOMPANIMENT TAPE FROM THE BAND!  IT WAS GREAT!!


 FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS:  Loved “Whistle”.  Did I ever share my St Thomas “His Eye is On the Sparrow” story?  It was 5 years ago when I was there with the children.  I left them on the beach and went back to the unit to get sunscreen and heard this most beautiful voice singing with that almost Snow White Disneylike quality.  As I walked toward our room, I realized it was coming from there…it was our housekeeper. I was surprised to see she was tall, silver haired, and I would guess in her 70’s, hardly a teenage Snow White.   I could not resist complimenting her and asking her about the song.  She told me that she and her husband had 6 children and now more than a dozen grandchildren; he had passed so she was supporting herself and always felt grateful for the hand of the Lord in her work and daily life.  She was a 7th Day Adventist.  You can bet I visited her church!////FROM JACK:  She turned out to be a singing evangelist.  BTW, one of my favorite whistlers was Elmo Tanner.  You can Google him whistling "Heartaches" with the Teen Weems Orchestra.

 FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  If I can see the "vision" of the person/company/church/organization/nation/world/etc., I seem to be better able to find joy in whatever I'm doing to contribute. Don't care how menial it is if the task is important to the community--the "vision" won't be satisfactorily accomplished unless I do my own part of it and that makes me feel good and important.////FROM JACK:  Sometimes the menial jobs might seem pointless, but the world relies on the work of common folks. 

 FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Teaching was hard work but very rewarding.  Working for the airlines was fun.  We are all still here for a reason.////FROM JACK:  Are you still in touch with some of your students from teaching days?