Perhaps I am dating myself by referencing this 1971 song of the Carpenters but I couldn’t help singing this song to myself this past weekend.

After having a few physical rainy days of late (I caught a bug and had some GI distress) I was once again reminded of just how AWESOME my imperfect life is in reality.

It is so easy to get down on yourself; your work situation; your relationships.

When I was younger I took pride in working when I didn’t feel well.  In fact; following my recovery from Testicular Cancer I didn’t take a sick leave day in over ten years. 

During the latter stages of my career where my mental presence is more critical than my physical presence I have learned that this badge of honor was actually a weakness.  When I didn’t feel well, I didn’t think well.

It is so easy to let Rainy Days and Monday get us down!

My listeners and readers know of my great respect for David Burns, MD., author of “Feeling Good” and how I use his book and his research to help legitimize some of my own observations and use of humor in the workplace.

Allowing yourself to draw negative conclusions in the face of physically feeling badly can be an example of:

1. Overgeneralization: You see a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

And if you allow yourself to wallow in it; if you allow yourself to make and take decisive action during these times where you are performing sub-optimally you may also be guilty of:

1. Emotional reasoning: You assume that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things really are: “I feel it, therefore it must be true.”

In short; I am not telling NOT to “Get Out of Bed and Go to Work!” but I am telling you NOT to make any truly critical life, career or relationship decisions when you are not at your physical or emotional best.

One of the things I do when I am feeling badly, when I have made my fifteenth trip to the bathroom and barely have the energy to take another step;  I find myself thinking, “man when I get over this and all I have to deal with is all the stuff that was bothering me before I felt badly; I will be the happiest man in the world!”

 I didn’t know how great I felt before!

I’d love to write more but I gotta run…..

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Lon Kieffer, author of “Get Out of Bed and Go to Work!”, Speaker, Consultant, Executive Recruiter and Expert on Workplace Culture Change and Generational Conflicts, gives seminars, keynote and plenary addresses, runs annual sales meetings, and provides Common Sense Consulting at:  www.LonKieffer.com. He can be reached at:  (302) 462-6748 or via email at:  Lon@LonKieffer.com