People
Issue No. 29 - June/July 2006
Hear dem joy bells ringin’!
by Colin Pearce
I hope your home and your workplace are full of the sound of laughter, good cheer and celebration.
You need the character quality of joyfulness surrounding you and other people need it emanating out of you.
In our surveys of the most desired Australian character quality of joyfulness is the second highest prized.
People do not like Bill Bellyache, Sally Schnott-Head, Carl Carp, Wendy Whiner, Mary Miseryguts, and Dan Down-in-the-mouth.
They also get a bit fed up with Bob Backslap, Gail Gigglepot and Tom Toiletmouth too.
So what is joyfulness?
The survey respondents told us they admired people who had a light hearted manner, who never complained, who were cheery, who made them laugh, had a good word for others, never whined, looked on the bright side, thought the best of people and went about their work and life with a smile on their face.
A young fellow wandered in off the street and glumly asked the manager if he had any jobs going.
The manager was a bit short-handed so he showed him into the factory and said he could help maintain the machines.
“I couldn’t do that. I’d get a rash from the grease and oil,” said the lad.
Kindly, the manager showed him the warehouse and said he could use someone to load the pallets.
“I couldn’t lift anything. I might get a bad back,” came the response.
So the manager showed him the canteen and said he could wash dishes and clean up after lunch and smoko. Sure enough the young chap said, “I’m allergic to food waste. I’m worried I’d have an asthma attack if I smelled garbage.”
So the manager took him into the office and showed him the photocopier room and told him he would value someone who could manage all the copying.
“The hum of the machine might give me tinnitus,” he whined.
The manager smiled and showed the young man into a nice office with a desk and a chair.
“I think I have the right...
