The Key to Creating More Joy in Your Work

Ten years ago, when I first moved to China, I became an English teacher at a university. I had no idea how to teach and had only one year of experience as a teaching assistant in a graduate school.

At first, I was devastated. In fact, I woke up the next morning after arriving at my new apartment only to find that I had no food, could not say anything in Chinese, and did not even know where to find food.

For me, everything was a strange place, especially my new job.

After settling down, I tried to do a good teaching job, and I really cared about my students. However, having hundreds of different students and seeing each group for less than an hour a week, I didn't see how I could make a big difference.

As a result, I have lost my motivation and have never given up on myself. I didn't find any reason to excel in what I was doing because I didn't see the potential in it.

I started to worry about what would be a good job. I was afraid to get up in the morning and drag myself to class. When I made a study plan, I simply threw out what I thought was enough.

In class, I just wanted to finish it and get on with my day. I used to get involved to talk to my students and I often complained about my work.

I have done what it takes to survive. I gave myself very little to myself and I was given back very little. My art became a hobby.

You get what you give

Many years later I started working to improve myself. Naturally, this included my work and I started looking for a way to turn my work into something better, something more meaningful. And I got the answer.

Pass it on for a few years, and everything changed. When preparing for classes, I carefully prepared the lesson plans and practiced repetition.

I would get up at 5:00 am every morning to make sure that I was physically and mentally alert and ready to give of myself, each day. Before each class, I talked to myself and pretended to be happy, determined to make all the classes more artistic.

I started to feel really happy when I went to class and I felt so happy when I entered the classroom. I would sit there and talk to the students, who always had a lot of questions for me.

Increasingly, I was able to see with the eyes of a student. And, by being able to put myself in their shoes, I knew what needed to be done and how to do it.

I too progressed as a person. I gained more confidence, I learned how to catch the attention of the crowd, I gained a clearer understanding of the learning process, and I felt much happier. I learned to lead and to control my curiosity.

I was getting important, measurable results and seeing how it could have a big impact on the lives of my students.

It was true that I spent a lot of time at my job, but what I learned recently was that I gained so much more in return. I could feel and see such love for my students. They were more cooperative than ever, I gained their trust, and they gave me kindness and friendship.

I was greeted with a warm smile every morning, and by the end of the school year, the thought-provoking gifts that had been shed there brought tears of joy to my eyes.

I had completely changed, and so did my students. And it's all because of the change I chose to make.

The Key to Creating Happiness in Your Work

What had happened? What have I done to bring about such a wonderful change?

I made a simple decision: I would give more than anyone else expected of me.

This decision came as a surprise.

Back then I was walking along my work, one afternoon, I was passing school halls. I was impressed that each classroom was filled with a quiet, bored student playing on his cell phone or asleep. In front of each class was a teacher who spoke arrogantly or read aloud on a slide.

I felt sorry for my students and was angry at the laziness I was seeing. The program was a complete disgrace and no one received anything of value. And in that moment I had a revelation: I was a part of it.

I too was lazy and played a part in this horrible situation. I felt a belief rise within me: I could no longer be a part of the deceiver.

When I returned home, I did something that completely changed the way I worked: I thought carefully about what my students needed.

I was inspired and spent hours putting together a new curriculum. When I brought the program, everyone in the class, including me, was shocked. The students are completely motivated and the overall atmosphere of the room has changed.

Afterwards, many students told me how much they enjoyed the class. They asked for a lot of similarities. Disappointed by the excitement, I set to work on developing a number of course plans that would have a real impact.

From there, it blossomed into a beautiful circle: the more I gave my students, the more I found happiness. And this made me want to give even more. Happiness came down to me through the stages of happiness.

I never thought about the good things that would happen. My classes are completely transformed.

Looking at the huge impact I had on hundreds of lives, I saw something: all of this happened because of one decision I had made.

I created this change. You can too.

And it starts with a decision: to give yourself a lot.

How to Give More

Service delivery is the key that will open the door to happiness and success in any endeavor. So, if you are not a teacher like me, how can you apply this in your work?