All the comments are very interesting. Alex sums it up well. Choose happiness or move on to create it elsewhere. And those who are happiest whether it is created/found/whatever… probably will be more successful, by anyone’s measure. med venlig hilsen, *Dimitri*

Myself, I do like my job – designer – but I also love the perks and the people. It is the free concert tickets… it is having people you can laugh with… it is good money… it is a cool environment… but without a tolerable daily work the perks make little difference to me.

I don’t see a job as a means to an end. I take a strong belief that work should be fun and enjoyable. The times when I’ve found myself dreading going into work consistently are the times I’ve quit for a new job.

But I’m unlike a lot of my friends. They are always seeking more money, more stuff, bigger titles…ego & image…that is their drive. I found a company where I’m happy for many reasons, including the daily grind. Money is hard not to follow here, but I’ve switched jobs for the “happiness factor” where my pay goes up hardly at all. I must say I wouldn’t take a job that reduces my employee value in return for utter happiness, but I think few would, regardless where they live.

Overall, I feel us Americans are more interested in what we can show off to others, rather than keeping ourselves happy for ourselves. Of course, many find happiness by showing off what they have. A vicious cycle indeed.

For myself – a Dane – my experience is that I need to have a manager – a boss – that I can look up to. Whenever I’ve had an intelligent, honest and innovative boss, I’ve been fairly happy!

I am 30 years old, consider myself bicultural (Mexican and American) since I spent 3 months every year during summer since the age of 3 until I was 15 attending a day camp in Louisiana so I grew up with lots of the American culture embedded in my perception of the world. I have the blessing of living in a beautiful country with lots of potential but with the unfortunate habit of comparing both systems and longing for that time when I can get the best of both… one where I can work in what I love and having the time at the same time to be with my family and friends.

Mexicans are extremely optimistic about life, cheerful and devouted to help others and we simply give everything and open ourselves to anyone… at the same time we long for better quality of life and work really hard to achieve our dreams and to be “entitled” or demonstrate that we deserve to have all the possibilities we dream of that perhaps our parents never had… We strive to get ahead and to improve ourselves, our minds, our careers and even our bank accounts and many of that is reflected in the immigration problem between Mexico and the US. Illegal aliens go to the US looking for precisely that which Dimitri has stated so clearly, the extras that come at a price… in this case the price is extremely high for it may mean leaving your family behind for a while, living in fear for a while or even face death, just to achieve “the American dream” many people in the world have looked for and are still looking for at some point.

I used to work as a teacher in junior high and highschool and was extremely happy with my job but wanted more money and less grading and stress so I changed jobs and applied for a position at an Embassy… I am not enthusiastic about my job now, I do not find it challenging nor rewarding enough, but I am mostly happy with the opportunities, the benefits, and the different vacancies I can apply for and I like my co-workers (except for the fact that they do not pay taxes)
So, I am satisfied with the Embassy in general and the opportunities it portrays, not with my current job or position, but I have found that most of the Mexican emloyees are happy at work, with their jobs and they have all worked here for a very LONG time (10 years and up)… so, I hope someday I will be as happy as they are at work… although I do not imagine myself working here for so long (or at least not now because I do not like my position)

In the large corporation I currently am in, most of the coworkers are unhappy. Not only have the perks and praises which once made this large corporation such a great place to work now taken away from us, office supplies and the promise of overtime and salaray increases is gone due to “budget cuts”.

But, as what has been said in your articles, we are faced with stupid “motivational contests” – a trophy cup rescued from the garbage dump and passed from team to team to decorate. And, once in a while, we even get served bagels by a manager. Wow.

Somewhere along the line, corporations here in America have blindsided themselves with the idea that the bottom line is the only line that matters. If the customers keep coming in, who cares what they do with the employees.

Your articles are dead-on.