Reasons to be Cheerful

From autumn 2009 - but a list can be produced every day if we try hard

Isn't everyone miserable just now? I've never known so many long faces around the office. Of course there are reasons - the transition leads to uncertainty and a certain amount of inhumanity, the weather is wrosening and nights are closing in, and if your circle is anything like my circle you are buffeted by regular news of friends falling seriously ill. I wouldn't want to trivialise any of this, but, hey, misery breeds misery and cheerfulness breeds cheerfulness, so can we at least try to find reasons to smile? Here are some small contributions. I hope they help you.

At macro level there is a lot of progress to celebrate. Read last week's Economist about how mobile phones drive development in poorer countries and can do even more now they can be used to transfer money. Actually, read the Economist every week, they always have good news if you care to look for it. What else? Obama can still be a great world leader. We are living longer and medical breakthroughs come thick and fast. Child mortality is collapsing in most of the world. Our kids are growing up smarter, less bigoted and with fewer hangups than we had. We can travel more freely. Our shops have wonderful goods from around the world. We have Ikea, we have easyjet, we have ipods. We are even learning how to behave with each other through the spread of things like non violent communication. We are blessed generations.

Maybe that is all a bit high level for you. So here is a list a bit closer to home. Holland and England are winning all the time at soccer, even ADO Den Haag win occasionally. Current fashions bring out the attractive side in people. Ramadan is over. Christmas is coming. Some good movies are coming out. The recession seems to be ending in much of thw world.

What about in Shell? The share price is not in the tank quite as much as it was. Analysts think we might be on an upswing. We've discovered a massive gas field off Norway and took FID in Gorgon. We've started to bite the bullet about our complacent culture.

Too remote for you? How about this then. The coffee shop in C16 is wonderful and the food in our canteens outstanding. Our office conditions are generally excellent. We have a diligent staff council and some inspiring leaders. Even if we will lose our jobs the compensation is not at all bad...and most people say later it was the best thing that ever happened to them. Maybe most important, when we lose something we should remember to celebrate what we have had rather than whine about what has been taken away.

Then there are things to be cheerful about within your own little circle. I can't tell you what they are of course. I can guess and share some of mine though. Try to smile at people and see them smile back. Wear bright and wild clothes and watch the reaction. Pay someone a compliment. Buy flowers - I have beautiful yellow dahlias in my office which cost me all of 2.50. There are hobbies and passions. There are friendships.

Yes, these are tougher times than usual. Maybe other people are to blame for making them tougher than they need to be and we see things we find distasteful. It hurts to see people hurting. I don't want to gloss over any of that. But the biggest single contributor to being happy is thinking happy and sucking in happiness from those around us. So let's give it a go. Smile - I dare you.