When I was growing up, we moved a lot. (No, really, a lot.) The Colonel got new orders every few years, and we packed up the house, moved to a new station, and started over. We left behind friendships we’d built, schools and teachers we loved, and states or cities we were used to and relocated to a city or Air Force base where we knew no one at all—often with less than two weeks’ notice. Each time we would grouse or complain, the Colonel said, “Happiness is a choice, kid. Choose to be happy where you are, and you’ll always be happy.”
He would go on, “You have a good life, kiddo,” he said. “This is the way it is, and this is the way it’s gonna be. We’re going. You can mope about it or choose to be happy about going to an area of the country you’ve never seen. But one way or the other, we’re going. Now get packing.”
In hindsight, some of my best childhood memories come from living in so many places. Relocating every few years could have been perceived as a burden. But it allowed me to grow and hone many of the skills (respect, communication, and adaptation) I now teach globally.
Significant leaders share this valuable truth with their team: Happiness is a choice. In every situation, you can find something to be happy about if you try.
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