How do you show up?

One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.

♥

I’ve shared on this blog that some of my coworkers were laid off at the beginning of the year due to a company downsizing. As usual when something like that happens in the workplace, morale took a hit. And I was not immune to that.

In the weeks that followed I felt myself slipping into a ridiculous funk. I felt unhappy about my workplace, felt like it wasn’t serving my life’s purpose, and just got super negative about the whole thing.

I have a co-worker who shares similar duties at work, and we got into the habit of complaining every morning. It’s how we started our day and it was a super easy habit to slip into and stay stuck in.

One weekend I was thinking about work and started counting my blessings rather than continuing to knock them down. Funny how the simple act of being grateful can turn things around. Every. Time.

Anyway, I decided that instead of starting my day by complaining with my coworker, I would mix things up a bit and bring something different to the table. Instead of starting Monday morning with another round of, “Here we are again…” I asked about her weekend and we were off in a completely different direction.

I noticed a definite difference in my attitude for the rest of the day. I know that the way I start my morning plays such a big part in the way I travel through the rest of my day. When I begin my work day with a gripe session, I’m less likely to be happy about anything at work. And on the flip side, when the day starts with a smile and a laugh thrown in for good measure, it points me in the direction of a much better day.

Anyone who has had the joy of living with co-workers 40+ hours a week knows how the dynamics of an office can work their way under your skin. I’ve worked with people who came to the office so happy every morning I’ve wanted to smack them. And I’ve worked with my fair share of morning grumpy faces too. Those co-workers who are so angry every morning that you can’t even deal with them until after 10:00 a.m. Or 2:00 p.m. Or ever.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how our presence matters, and today I’m expanding on that with a reminder that the way we "show up" sets the tone for our presence. Will our presence matter in a way that is uplifting to those we come in contact with? Or will we leave them feeling like they’ve just been knocked down a notch or two? It all depends on how we show up in the first place.

How will you show up today?
{Showing up with donuts never hurts.}
♥