Of course, there is such a thing as being happy at work. The usual. The job’s fulfilling, and the colleagues are non-invasive. Challenges can be met but are rewarding. The Company is something to be proud of. The product or service that you work with is of interest. (I could never work for a pet food company or whatever you’re thinking of right now.)
Like anything in life, happiness is more than that. If you can find happiness at work, then that means you’ve found happiness in life. Happiness is not about positive thoughts, and it’s not about negative thoughts. It’s about the absence of desire, especially the lack of desire for external things.
The fewer desires I can have, the more I can accept the current state of things, the happier I am.
Participating at work to acquire more external rewards (career progress, room with a view, named car park, more stripes on my sleeve, a name on the door) contributes to unhappiness.
Happiness to me isn’t thinking too much about the future or the past, but instead embracing the present moment and the reality of what it is and how it is.
It is only in our particular minds we are unhappy or not happy, and things are perfect or imperfect because of what we desire.
So, at work, work is meaningful when I do it. I achieve this by cultivating indifference to things outside of my control.
It works for me.
I’ve survived and thrived for 22 years.