Yesterday a work colleague was asked how he was by a visitor and he said the word “great”. Whist he used a positive word in his answer, it really lacked the energy that the word would tend to inspire. The word was flat and without life. The word was free from any tonal inflection. The word was bereft of energy. The word was lifeless.

I turned and stated to him that this was the most inauthentic thing I had heard all day. The word was in-congruent with his facial expression, his tone, volume and body language.

To that he smiled, and I saw a light come into his eyes as he threw his arms into the air and shouted “GREAT”. This time his energy level was sky-high. The volume was far greater and his face was animated. He was being authentic when he said it this time.  He grinned and then after doing this simple gesture began to laugh. The person that he had said “GREAT” to looked stunned as his reaction was so unexpected. This added to the humour of the situation.

He and I both used this simple gesture to energise each other for the rest of the day.

The next day (This morning), I knew he had arrived because I heard he say that he was “GREAT”. It was authentic and energetic and he commented that just saying the word and making a gesture with his arms really did make him feel happy. Just this simple gesture got us both laughing and we began the day with high spirits.

I explained to him that almost every morning I throw my hands into the air and jump for joy and make the sound of joy for several seconds. This may sound weird or different however, this simple act really does make me feel “GREAT”. Often my young boys are with me and I get them to imagine that its Christmas and they just got the best present ever. We then all jump for joy.

Being authentic when you speak to others is such an important factor in life. This is a simple thing to help keep us energised about our life and the future. There are so many reasons to be full of joy. A wise person once taught me that “Life is a JOY, and then you live”.