93% of ECPs Generally Consider Themselves to Be Happy

question:

Do you or don’t you consider yourself a happy person most of the time? If yes, do you believe it to be an inherent part of your nature or something you consciously work on? If not, do you believe your happiness, or lack thereof, is outside your control or something you could control if your circumstances were to change?

Yes: 93%

• I’m doing the thing that makes me most happy. Am I inherently happy? Is anyone? I would say I’m really good at worrying about the stuff that I can change and leaving the rest in its box… on a shelf… along with the other boxes… that never touch each other. I only look in one box at a time. My favorite box is the ‘Nothing Box.’ It’s empty. When my wife asks what I am thinking about, it’s not Rome (that has its own box), it’s always ‘Nothing.’ — Kevin Count, Corner Optical, Glenview, IL
• I think it’s my nature. — Robert Lootens, Physicians Optical Service, Jefferson City, MO
• I believe my happiness is an inherent part of me. I have my moments where I feel overwhelmed, stressed, or any other emotion just like anyone else but I am able to bring myself out of any emotional downtime. — Danielle Doniver, Heritage Optical, Detroit, MI
• I choose to be happy. — Shannon Crouse, Terry D. Moehnke, O.D., Fort Dodge, IA
• I feel pretty happy in general AND I like to stay grateful and thankful. — Betsy Brockett, Zionsville Eyecare, Zionsville, IN
• I have a genuinely happy demeanor, but it does take work to stay that way. — Amy Donoho, 20/20 Optical, Fergus Falls, MN
• In my younger years I was very negative. Over time and through some traumatic yet humbling experiences I’ve learned that being unhappy is a choice, and it’s one I no longer make. — Kelsey Bredice, A Proper View, Winston Salem, NC
• I’m usually happy but don’t take it for granted. There’s always someone out there with much bigger worries than I have. — Rick Rickgauer, Vision Associates, Girard, PA
• Being happy is part of my nature and something I consciously work on. I do not wish time away. As I approach my 60th birthday, I am more grateful every day and appreciate myself more for what I have accomplished. Much of what I have accomplished helps others. It is my time to share, give back and help others realize what they have inside them so they find it sooner than I did. Stay be-YOU-tiful and be YOU till YOU are full! — Karen Michaelson, Kare Consulting/I Wear By K, Wyoming, MN
• I need to work on it, lots of factors make it tough. — Rick Pascucci, Towpath Vision Care, Clinton, NY
• It is part of my nature most of the time but as a leader, you should always be conscious of your actions and what it can impact positively. — Lule Baftiri, Dr Green Optical, Oak Lawn, IL
• I have a pretty positive outlook in general but there are days where I do need a pick me up. For me it’s always best to look at life with gratitude and to find the beauty in this world. — Stephanie Plagge, Primary Vision Care, Mount Vernon, OH
• You have to work on it as well as having a good attitude to begin with. — Kristina Jordan, The Eye Site, Mishawaka, IN
• I consider myself to be a snarky optimist. I have a healthy dose of sarcasm but am generally happy. — Jenna Gilbertson, McCulley Optix Gallery, Fargo, ND
• It’s something I constantly work on. I really believe in a positive state of mind and how much difference in can make in how your day goes. I’m very fortunate that I truly enjoy what I do, so it’s easy to be happy on the job. It’s the factors in the other area of my life that can be very trying. — Susan Kantor, Central Phoenix Eyecare, Phoenix, AZ
• Combination of working on it and coming from my parents. — Jordan Flitter, Paris West Optical, Baltimore, MD
• Inherently. — Richard Frankel, OD, Atlantic Cape Eyecare, Wildwood, NJ
• My glass is always overflowing… I am most blessed! — Patti Richard, OD, Family Eye Care, North Andover, MA
• I’m generally a “glass half full” person but have ups and downs like others. I do believe we can control our attitude and our attitude can help determine our level of happiness. Also, while we cannot control some of the things that happen to us, we CAN control the way we react to them. So, the mind is very powerful when it comes to happiness. Abraham Lincoln put it more simply: “People are as happy as they make up their mind to be.” — Scott Mann, OD, Invision 2020, Christiansburg and Salem, VA
• The less time I spend thinking about being happy or not, the happier I am. Most often if I am unhappy, it’s because I have too much coming at me at once. Which isn’t so much unhappiness as overwhelm and that is a temporary state. — Nikki Griffin, Eyestyles Optical and Boutique, Oakdale, MN
• I think it’s just part of my make up. I need to see the brighter side. — Jennifer Yerden, Sights and Shades, Canandaigua, NY
• It’s something I try to work on. I’m generally happy most of the time, I just deal with a lot of anxiety/OCD so I have to push through that. — Nick Stubblefield, Eye Care Avenue, Frisco, TX
• I’m pretty happy in general, but sometimes it is something I have to work on. Depends on the day! — Judy Scheuerell, Fox Valley Family Eye Care, Little Chute, WI
• Happiness is, at the end of the day, a conscious choice. I choose to be happy regardless of my circumstances. — Pablo E Mercado, Highland Eye Boutique, Atlanta, GA
• I think it is more of a learned skill. Life is better when your happy, why would anyone choose to be unhappy? — Amie Robinson, Spring Hill Eyecare, Spring Hill, TN
• Being a happy person is just in my nature. — BJ Chambers, Carrera Optical, McQueeney, TX
• I think it’s just part of my nature. — Margot Lanham, Ulla Eyewear, Madison, WI
• Being happy is an inherent part of my nature but also something that I work on daily. — Keontae Murray, Bella Lee, Royal Oak, MD
• I believe maturity has dulled my happiness, for the most part, therefore that requires me to ‘work on’ showing my happiness for other people to respond to. — Colby Spivey, Vision Center South, Dothan, AL
• I’m generally negative about myself but my life is so good I tend to focus on that! Successful business and close family, I don’t need anything more so I life is good! — Jennifer Leuzzi, Mill Creek Optical, Dansville, NY
• I work at this and reframe things in my mind all the time. Instead of being frustrated that the last Low Vision patient isn’t in the optical yet and we close in five minutes, I reframe that to “I am grateful to be able to help someone that needs our service so much,” etc. — Jami Kulpinski, Eye Clinic of Wisconsin, Wausau, WI
• Of course, there are things that can be going on that could have an effect on that happiness but overall, I am generally happy and easygoing. Working in this industry/customer service, it is important to have a good attitude. — Sarah Martinec, Springdale Eye Care, Western Springs, IL
• I believe it is a combination of your nature as well as you choosing what attitude you’re going to carry throughout the day. — Sohini Patel, OD, See You Eyecare, Orlando, FL
• It is definitely an inherent part of my nature. Would you rather go through life with a frown or a smile? Easy question to answer for most! — Mark Perry, OD, Vision Health Institute, Orlando, FL
• I’m mostly neutral with a hint of happiness without trying and if something gets me down on rare occasion then I concentrate on knowing things will get better tomorrow and that God has a plan for me. — Marc Ullman, OD, Academy Vision, Pine Beach, NJ
• I’m actually generally quite happy. Sure, there are things that can get me down but I’m not one to dwell. — Amy Frost, Logos Vision, East Brunswick, NJ
• I feel like I am inherently a happy person however if I’m not feeling it one day I still push forward to project happiness. I feel like when I’m happy it affects everyone around me: my family, staff, patients. And if they are all happy then it makes for a much better day. — Cynthia Sayers, OD, Eyeshop Optical Center, Lewis Center, OH
• It appears to be genetic! I won the natural selection lottery! — Jen Heller, Pend Oreille Vision Care, Sandpoint, ID
• You can choose your mindset and own happiness. Sometimes this is easy; sometimes not, but you can always choose. — Zachary Dirks, OD, St. Peter And Belle Plaine Eyecare Centers, Saint Peter, MN
• My happiness is definitely something I work on consciously. It’s one of the few things in life we can control. — Ben Thayil, OD, Lifetime Vision and Eye Care, Miami, FL
• Inherent. — Pam Peters, Midwest Eye, Downers Grove, IL
• I live by this quote: “She quietly expected great things to happen to her, and no doubt that’s one of the reasons why they did.” — Jennifer Stewart, OD, Norwalk Eye Care, Norwalk, CT
• I think happiness is something you have to consciously have to work on. Life is hard no matter what, but we’re able to choose how we respond to those hard things. — Morgan DiMaggio, Taylor Eye Care, Carmi, IL
• I have to work on it. — Tina Gladen, Eye Care Associates, Minneapolis, MN
• Wow, this question is much deeper than I thought. I like to smile, I like to make people smile, nothing deeper than that. — Ron Catterson, Clear View Optix, The Villages, FL
• I am naturally joyful and look for the positives in any situation. I think it does take work to remain happy in our broken world though. It takes reducing comparison that doesn’t push you to be better but steals your joy. I’ve also learned the balance of allowing yourself to feel the bad feelings. It makes the sweet so much sweeter. — Anna Kirby, Kittery Optometric Associates, Kittery, ME
• My nature. — Bev Tomas, Holland Family Eyecare, East Stroudsburg, PA
• Being happy is often a conscious decision we make. Obviously, we all have bad days but if we can make the most out of our bad days and focus on the positive things it’s amazing how much happier we can all be. — Travis Lefevre, Krystal Vision, Logan, UT
• Part of my nature. I grew up in a nightmare of sorts but have always overcome the bad by joking with friends and others. I never wanted to be like the people I grew up in the house with, but I don’t consciously work on the happiness, it’s just always been there outside the bad. I believe everyone can control their happiness. You can turn a bad situation into a good one. Can’t let the bad drag you down, otherwise you’ll be miserable and that’s a disease you don’t want to spread. — Jeff Grosekemper, Casa De Oro Eyecare, Spring Valley, CA
• I’m the ultimate glass half full person. I’m the one who leaves a baseball game in which your team blew a five run lead and says “Hey, they played great.” It’s in my nature to be positive because otherwise, what’s the point? — Harris Decker, Eye Designs of Westchester, Scarsdale, NY
• Inherent … my parents although strict instilled in me a need to always look on the brighter side and have fun at all costs. Happiness is a decision that is made every day you wake up and face the world. I choose happiness. — Chris Clark, Advanced Eye Care Optical Shoppe, Panama City, FL
• I work on it every day. On the weekends, I get outside and away from everything and actively look to recharge. I put in time in the gym in the morning and do my very best to arrive at work with a smile on my face. I cannot help people if I am angry or upset. — Steven Neely, Nittany Eye Associates, State College, PA
• I do think I’m an inherently happy person. That’s not to say that everything is always perfect, but I try to find the silver lining in every situation. — Christine Howard, Eyes on Plainville, Plainville, MA
• I choose happiness. I am a breast cancer thriver, not just a survivor. — Tracie Rendon, Capital Eye, Austin, TX
• Happiness is a state of mind. — Steve Burek, Metro Eye, Milwaukee, WI
• For me to be continually optimistic and/or happy it is something I am continuously working on as I get older. The older I get the more I realize that being happy and doing things that make me happy is a priority. It’s not easy, but I choose to live joyfully and see the best in things when I can. — Sophia Pray, Huntley Eye Care, Huntley, IL
• You are in control of your own emotions. You just have to remember to be grateful for the things you have. — Dierdre Fogle, OD, Eyetopia Eyecare, Littleton, CO
• Happiness is something you choose. It takes work initially but gets easier over time. — Scott Ligon, Jervey Eye Group, Greenville, SC
• I believe it’s an inherent part of my nature. My outlook in life is things are so much easier to deal with when we are happy. A happy person can hopefully send the positive vibes to others. — Deborah Tellez-Peña, Eye Physicians of Austin, Austin, TX
• Happy patients, happy all day. — Michael Leuschner, Reno Family Eye Care, Reno, NV
• I make a point of looking at every day as a gift from God and it’s up to us to make the most of that day. I’ve found that a lot of things that bothered me when I was younger, now don’t seem worth the energy to get upset about. — Barbara Bloom, OD, Weber Vision Care, Harrisburg, PA

No: 7%

• With my history in the Army, PTSD has made happiness a struggle. I put on a happy face and push through to make life seem normal. Staying in the medical field has helped me maintain a happy place. — William Chancellor, Eye Can See Eyewear, Best Chance Optical, McDonough, GA