The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

  • The weight of a snowflake

    “Tell me the weight of a snowflake,” a coalmouse asked a wild dove.

    “Nothing more than nothing,” the dove answered.

    “In that case I must tell you a marvelous story,” the coalmouse said. “I sat on a fir branch close to the trunk when it began to snow. Not heavily, not in a raging blizzard. No, just like in a dream, without any violence at all. Since I didn’t have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles of my branch. Their number was exactly 3,471,952. When the next snowflake dropped onto the branch–nothing more than nothing — as you say — the branch broke off.”

    Having said that, the coalmouse ran away.

    The dove, since Noah’s time an authority on peace, thought about the story for a while. Finally, she said to herself, “Perhaps there is only one person’s voice lacking for peace to come to the world.”

    I found this beautiful story in Synchronicity by Joseph Jaworski.

  • Declaration of content

    ,

    Inspired by an ancient MAD Magazine article, I did this declaration of content, for the “happy at work” conference:

    Typical conferenceOur conference

    Talk:
    More talk:
    Innovation:
    Energy:
    Action:
    Boredom:

    		45%
    25%
    2%
    2%
    1%
    25%    		Talk:
    Action:
    Innovation:    		25%
    50%
    25%

    How does that sound?

  • Happy at work conference

    ,

    I’m very proud to announce the happy at work conference on May 27 in Copenhagen.

    We have a great program for the day, with more action and less talk than most conferences. And in a novel twist, we’re making the day a “Powerpoint free zone”. There are many great ways to use Powerpoint – and many bad ones. We thought we’d try and see what happens when you can’t use it for a whole day.

    We have some great speakers, including Mads Kjaer, the CEO of Denmarks best workplace, and Jesper Bove-Nielsen, the author of Corporate Kindergarten.

    Here are a couple of banners you can use, if you’d like to help us advertise the conference:

  • Motivation games

    ,

    Yahoo has a whole section on Work/Life health with some interesting stuff in it. I especially enjoyed some of the games describes in this article.

  • See the world as it really is…

    Or should you?

  • Quote

    ,

    This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

    – George Bernard Shaw

  • Book review: Synchronicity

    ,

    Synchronicity, the inner path of leadership by Joseph Jaworski is the story of his own transformation as a leader. From his earlier life (as he calls it) as a trial lawyer to his quest of identifying and promoting better leadership.

    His transformation began, as it often happens, with a personal tragedy. Until his wife left him, he had been living what must have seemed on the surface a perfect life. He had a high-payed, challenging job, a nice home, a wife and a kid. But when it all came tumbling down, he realized that he hadn’t really been living. His life felt two-dimensional.

    He has since then been through an amazing transformation which is described in the book in a no-nonsense, down-to-earth manner. He’s met, worked with and learned from people like David Bohm, Peter Senge and Arie deGeus, and the lessons are passed on in the book.

    And mostly, it’s about openness. About realizing that everything in the world is connected. That ultimately the border we perceive between “self” and “not-self” is an illusion. It’s about not trying to control life, but letting life flow through you.

    Jaworski argues that when you live life in this way, it feels like the world is constantly conspiring to help you along, and I can’t help but agree. I’ve taken a very similar approach to my work on the “Happy at work” project, and highly skilled and wonderfully nice people are constantly coming out of the woodwork to help. It’s a great feeling to be reliant on the world to help you, and to see that the world does.

    The book is an easy and enjoyable read, and the story of Jaworskis gradual unfolding from slave to a job to servant of a purpose is well told and very inspiring. I recommend it highly.

  • Nonviolent communication

    ,

    Nonviolent communication (nvc) is an excellent tool, especially for communicating in difficult situations. Like telling an employee he’s fired, criticizing someones work or reprimanding a child.

    The Center for nonviolent communication have an excellent overview of nvc.

    Marshall B. Rosenberg, the man behind nvc says in an interview:
    We call the language that we teach ?giraffe language,? though its official name is ?Nonviolent Communication.? I use the image of a giraffe because it?s a language of the heart, and a giraffe has the largest heart of any land animal.

    Unfortunately for myself, I was taught to speak ?jackal language.? You see, a jackal is closer to the ground. They get so preoccupied with getting their needs met that they just can?t see into the future like the tall giraffe. Jackals speak in ways that block compassionate communication, because they?re motivated out of fear, shame, and guilt.

  • quote

    ,

    There are two tragedies in life. One is not to get your heart’s desire. The other is to get it.

    – George Bernard Shaw

  • Fun and earnestness

    Den som kun
    ta’r sp?g for sp?g
    og alvor
    kun alvorligt
    han og hun
    har faktisk fattet
    begge dele d?rligt.

    Taking fun
    as simply fun
    and earnestness
    in earnest
    shows how thoroughly
    thou none
    of the two
    discernest.

    Zwischen Scherz
    und Ernst vermag
    der nur scharf
    zu scheiden
    welcher gr?ndlich
    missversteht
    die Natur
    der Beiden.

    Qui prend le jeu
    rien q’uen jeu,
    le serieux
    aut serieux,
    a m?compris
    un tout petit peu
    le vrait esprit
    de tous les deux.

    – Piet Hein

Connect

Get our newsletter

“I can’t believe it – a newsletter actually worth reading!”
– Subscriber

Over 6,000 people subscribe to our newsletter with tons of tips about happiness at work.

Get our books

“It’s very, very good. It’s incredibly well written, full of insights, and there are exercises to improve your own happiness at work. You can’t ask for more than that!”
– David Maister, author of Practice What You Preach

“What an inspiring book. Every leader should read it. This type of leadership has been integral to our success and I know it will boost your results too.“
– Garry Ridge, CEO WD-40 Company

Get Our Free Newsletter

Over 6,000 people already get our free newsletter with useful tips, videos, links and articles about happiness at work.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Top posts last week

Non-inspirational quotesOctober 22, 2003
Top 10 reasons why constant complaining is so toxic in the workplaceAugust 7, 2007
Homework makes kids hate learningAugust 28, 2006
The world is uncertain (again). Happiness at work must be part of the answer.April 9, 2025
How to handle chronic complainersAugust 24, 2006

recent Posts