Should you be happy in your work? Of course everyone wants to be happy in what they do, but should it be a condition imposed upon you employer? In my tenure within the current position I have seen dozens of people throw away a steady good paying job (given their respective qualifications) because they were not happy with their workplace for one reason or another. The strange part is that some of the most bitter and vocal among them have tried to come back to their old job after not finding happiness elsewhere.
Sometimes not being happy at your job or even school is because of a poor fit. For example if your talents, education and/or passion are for accounting but you end up as a computer programmer, you may be unhappy, but this is not the fault of your employer. It is up to you to know who you are.
Another case where you may be unhappy is if you find yourself being influenced by people and circumstances beyond your control within your workplace. This situation is more difficult to handle. First and foremost you have to realize that the only person responsible for your happiness is you and it is a choice that you have to make. That being said it is completely understandable that after a while factors and people within the workplace can batter down your resolve to be happy, just choose not to make it a permanent arraignment. Try to control your emotions separately than the influences around you. Perhaps I can discuss this again in the future.
Lastly your personal life and factors at home can have more of an impact upon your happiness at work than you realize. Your wife/husband, kids or school work can cause you to feel additional stress, at times feeling overworked, overwhelmed and like your life is out of control. Whenever we get these sensations we often times start to begrudge or dislike anyone putting additional stress, work or obligations upon us, even if work related. This can cause you to become unconsciously but effectively irritable at your employer without even realizing it. Yet another topic for future discussion?
Personally I am seeing that being happy is actually a learned habit. Even if you don't feel happy, act like you do. Of course this is "faking" it, but it can ultimately change your natural disposition. Thus one should "act" happy until it becomes a matter of habit and they "become" happy. Realize that your employer cannot control your mood or happiness nor are they responsible for it, even if they can control some of the influences upon your mood. Realize that if you are unhappy, you are the cause, it is up to you to determine the "why" and the proper action to remedy the situation. Lastly realize that if you do not change you, changing your circumstances will only change the scenery surrounding your misery, whether that is a job change, a spouse change or even if you just give away your kids (you can't really do that you know).
Being happy will reflect upon everything you do, from school work to how you drive. It is a responsibility we all have. Unhappy people are contagious, just like happy people, but only one group changes the world for the better. Which group are you in?
Personally I am struggling with this myself and am resolving to act happy until I am. Hopefully this works.
Cheers
---Cajun