Center for Workplace Happiness

Do you ever feel like a situation is hopeless? That’s a bad way to feel, isn’t it?

Kinda like when my favorite squeaky ball rolls under the couch – it feels like nothing I can do will get it back out. Like magic, though, it always reappears somewhere I can get it and squeak it and throw it in the air.

If you’re feeling stuck in a hopeless situation, it helps to remember that you’re not the only one expected to make it all better. You’re surrounded by people who can and will pitch in, and like magic, the hopeless situation can morph into a success, a better outcome or just a valuable learning opportunity.

Things always work out, even when it feels hopeless to you. And it’s not magic – it’s allowing others to be part of the solution, just like how Mom takes my squeaky ball out from under the couch.

I’m Kacey and I love veterinarians!

Is there a song with lyrics that inspire you?

Mom named me after the Kacey Musgraves song, Follow Your Arrow. It’s a song that talks about how other people will judge you, no matter what you do, so you might as well do what makes you happy.

Was there ever a time in your life where you realized that you couldn’t possibly be what everyone wanted you to be? This person wanted you to be one way, another person wanted you to be another way, and so on?

Because you’re a caring person it’s easy to try to be what other people want you to be – just don’t give up who you are at your core, no matter what. Follow your arrow because that’s the only way to live the life you were born to live.

I’m Kacey and I love veterinarians!

Are you surrounded by strong people or weak ones?

A great way to discover the answer is to hear how they talk to others. Strong people offer uplifting comments, offer help in a non-condescending way and talk well about their colleagues even when they’re not around. Weak people gossip, tattle-tale and belittle their co-workers.

If you’re the leader, it’s up to you to help the weak people grow stronger. Everyone can grow and change, and if you’re working with people willing to grow, then helping them grow stronger helps strengthen your team too.

I’m Sandy Weaver and just like Kacey, I love veterinarians!

Do you get irritated at other drivers when you’re driving?

I look out the window and sometimes see the driver in the car beside us yelling and pounding on his steering wheel. Scary – glad mom doesn’t do that!!

Humans take things so personally sometimes – if you get mad at other drivers, you might be thinking things like, “he just cut me off!!” or “they’re so slow that I could walk faster!!”

Usually, what you’re doing is taking the other driver’s actions personally, like they’re out to get you. They’re not – they’re just driving. You’re the one making up a story inside your head that’s making you angry and hurting your attitude and your body.

Look around and find something to appreciate or admire and let yourself off the hook. You’ll arrive in a much better mood, I promise.

I’m Kacey and I love veterinarians!

What does success look like to you?

To me it would be a total takedown of my new big brother the Standard Poodle…he’s so tall I haven’t figured out how to wrestle him to the ground yet!

Think about it…what does success look like to you?

You can let your mind play with that idea or if you know exactly what success is for you, write about it in your journal, paint it on your bedroom wall or maybe make a vision board of what your success looks like.

Knowing what you’re aiming for will help you get there, and turning your success into a creative project makes the journey more fun.

I’m Kacey and I love veterinarians!

Do you sometimes compare yourself or your life against someone else’s?

Sometimes I look at that orange cat and think about how it would be to be that free…I could just runandrunandrun! And then I remember the yummy food and cookies that Mom gives me…mmmmmmmmm!

When you compare yourself against someone else, it’s like comparing apples and oranges – you don’t know what their life really is, or what experiences brought them to where they are today. If you knew all of that you might not be so quick to want to change places with them.

Instead of comparing, consider all the positive things about yourself and your life. You rock…you just need to remember to recognize that.

I’m Kacey and I love veterinarians!

Do you have a habit you want to break? It’s ok…sometimes I forget and play too rough in the house. I’ve gotta remember to stop doing that before I break something!

Everyone has bad habits and when you understand neuroplasticity concepts you’ll understand two things about them – why they’re hard to break and that you can break them if you want.

Next time you start to do that habit you don’t want to do anymore, stop. Ponder this thought – why do I want to do that right now? Go deep, and think about the answer to that question for a minute or so. You may be surprised to find that the urge to do that thing you don’t want to do anymore has passed. Congratulations…you’re on your way to freeing yourself of that habit!

I’m Kacey and I love veterinarians!

Does your morning wear you out before you even get to the hospital? If you have family, you’re probably care-taking for them – clothes, school bags, lunches, homework – while trying to make coffee and breakfast and get yourself ready too. Exhausting!!

Think about the pieces of your morning routine that could be done ahead – prep overnight oatmeal the night before, get everyone’s clothes organized the night before, round up the homework and put it in the backpacks and maybe even prep the lunches.

When you knock things out ahead of time you avoid the stress of time crunches.

I’m Kacey and I love veterinarians!

Do you pay attention to intentions? Mom calls me Butterfly Brain so I guess that means I don’t pay attention to much at all sometimes.

Paying attention to intentions is easy though – in the evening, as you’re finishing up dinner dishes or whatever, think about the next day. Make one intention that’ll help make your day easier.

Maybe it’s making lunch now instead of in the morning. Maybe it’s putting walking shoes in your car so you can get outside for 15 minutes at some point tomorrow. Whatever it is, decide what you’ll do tomorrow and prep for it tonight.

By paying attention to your intention and getting prepped for it, you’re setting yourself up for success.

I’m Kacey and I love veterinarians!

Is your motivation lagging a little bit today?

A great way to get your mojo back is to think back to times when you’ve nailed it – whatever IT is that’s demotivating you. Remember when you first learned IT, when you finally mastered IT and when you helped teach IT to someone else.

You’re aces at IT – remind yourself of that, give yourself a pat on the back and then get to IT.

I’m Sandy Weaver and just like Kacey, I love veterinarians!