快乐　Fun

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

～Winston Churchill

One holiday season, way back in the 1980s, I was caught unprepared for the New Year. Somehow, I forgot to make a resolution, and didn't realize it until January 2nd, when my three office mates began discussing theirs.What to do?

I could have copped out. I could have said，“I don't make New Year's resolutions.”But that would be a lie；I did make them.What's more, I liked them！I just……forgot.

Was it too late?

I don't know where the idea came from, but I opened up the Power Point program on my computer, printed out a sign in bold 32-point letters, and taped it to the wall in back of my desk. The sign read：

If it ain't fun, I ain't doing it

When co-workers asked me my resolution, I pointed to the sign. Everyone laughed and a few double-entendres were muttered.

“Does that mean you're only going to do half your work?”one boss asked.“Because if I have to hire an assistant for you, we need to talk.”

I worked for a small company where kidding and practical jokes were daily occurrences-often initiated by management.“An assistant would be great，”I said.“She could give us all pedicures.”

“I'll think about it.”

A few days later the Sales Manager burst in.“I'm swamped. Clear your desk, and you've got to help me.We've got a new promotion planned-well, not really planned, you're gonna get stuck with the planning stuff.A national contest……we re giving away T-shirts and sound systems.It'll run for three months.You need to schedule……”He stopped, catching sight of the sign behind me.

The Sales Manager tapped his pencil on his papers and turned away. He looked down the hall for a few seconds before flashing a huge smile at me.“You are going to love this！A national contest；this will be so much fun.You'll be talking about this for the rest of your life-you'll tell your grandchildren about it！You'll be meeting celebrities, writing radio promos……”

And so it went. Everyone who saw the sign reframed the tasks we did together.We discovered that ripping and separating six-part forms was actually cathartic and released tension.Running to the warehouse to check on orders could be great exercise.A phone call broke up a dull afternoon.Once, the boss brought in a six-pack of soda and announced that our weekly meetings would now start with belching contests.

If it ain't fun, I ain't doing it. Could I refuse the work that wasn't fun?Not without losing my job！I had to reset my own mind and find fun.It wasn't that hard；I liked my job to begin with.Invoices, shipping labels, customer service questions-all became, by wild（and sometimes twisted）leaps of the imagination, fun.

Not every story evolved into an anecdote, of course. Sometimes the fun was no more than an espresso or ice cream break when the work was done.My work didn't change, but my attitude did.

That resolution taught me that fun exists all around me, waiting to be found. Pain, drama, boredom, stress, and sadness are there too.We choose what to see and how to respond to it.

～Vickey Kalambakal

态度虽小，可以为大矣。

——温斯顿·丘吉尔

事情还得从20世纪80年代的一个假期说起，我在新年被弄了个措手不及。不知道什么原因，我竟然忘了立新年决心。到了一月二日，我听到办公室的三位同事正在聊自己的新年决心，才想起这回事来。这可如何是好呢？

我本可以找个借口，置身事外，说：“我没有下新年决心的习惯。”但那就成说谎骗人了。我以前的确是立过新年决心的。更重要的是，我喜欢立新年决心！那一年只是……忘记了。

亡羊补牢，为时晚矣？

我不知道从哪里冒出来的这个想法，于是打开幻灯片程序，打印出一张32号粗体字的标语。我把这个标语贴到办公桌后面的墙上，上面写道：

“没意思的事情，我不做。”

同事问我立了什么新年决心的时候，我就指指贴在墙上的标语。看的人无不大笑，还冒出几句黄段子。

一个主管问我：“你是不是打算只干一半的活？要是还得给你找个助理的话，那我必须和你好好谈谈了。”

我就职的那家公司不大，开开玩笑，搞搞恶作剧是家常便饭。而且通常带头开玩笑的都是主管上司。我答道：“要是找个女助理就好了，让她给我们大家伙儿做做足疗。”

“嗯，我好好考虑考虑。”

没过几天，公司的销售部经理冲了过来：“我实在忙不过来了。赶紧清理一下办公桌，你得帮我一把。我们已经制订了一个新的营销计划——哦，还不能算计划下来了，那帮策划组的人做事情慢死了。一场全国性的大比拼……我们准备免费送T恤衫和音响。这场营销活动将持续三个月，你得好好安排一下日程……”说着说着，他看见我贴在墙上的标语，停了下来。

销售经理拿铅笔敲敲手里的文件。他扭过头，向办公楼下面看了片刻，然后满面笑容地回过头来，话锋一转，说道：“你会喜欢这次活动的！一场全国范围的营销大比拼肯定会特别有意思。你一辈子都不会忘记这次活动，将来你可以自豪地跟孙子们谈谈当年参加过的这次活动！你会见到许多社会名流，而且还有机会写广播广告，还有……”

就是这样。所有看到这个标语的人都把要和我合作的任务重新表述一遍。我们发现，丢掉原来老一套的任务框架就像吃泻药一样，可以减轻不少压力。跑到仓库查验订单也可以当做锻炼身体。一个电话成了打破下午沉闷气氛的放松时刻。有一次，公司老板提来半打汽水，跟我们说每周例会前要先举行个“打嗝大赛”。

没意思的事情，我不做。没意思的工作，我真能撒手不干吗？不丢饭碗才怪呢！我得调整心态，为自己寻求快乐。这做起来其实并不难，我想要就这样开始工作。开发票、打发货单、发客服问卷，通过夸张的想象（有时甚至有点离谱），这些都变成了有意思的事情。

话虽如此，但不是什么事情都那么有趣，会变成谈笑的话题。有时候，我们的乐趣仅仅是工作结束之余的一杯咖啡或者一个甜筒。工作一点没变，变的只是我的工作态度。

这个决心让我明白，快乐无处不在，只是等待我们去发现而已。生活中什么事情都有，痛苦的、意想不到的、无聊的、紧张的、悲伤的，等等。看什么，怎么看，如何回应，其实都由我们自己说了算。

——维姬·卡拉姆巴卡尔