MESSAGE 16

HARD WORK…

Hard work will, in all cases, move you to greater places in life.  I don’t care where you work, whether it be for Corporate America making six figures, or for Burger King making eight dollars an hour.  There is a high level of respect for people who work their absolute hardest at their jobs, regardless of their position or pay.  I have worked for Carmike Cinemas making popcorn, cleaning theaters, selling tickets, and working concessions, as well as a cook at tiny local restaurant called Coney Dog Café, and also at Parkview Hospital as a housekeeper.  I have always loved movies more than the average person, but lets face it, none of my job holdings have rendered me a passion.  I discern that there is something so rare about taking pride in your work now a days, people just want to clock in and do the bare minimum because they despise their place of employment, again I’m generally speaking in regards to any job position.

I reason that I will enjoy wherever it is that I am working because I have a positive attitude and I look past just getting a paycheck.  I find purpose in my work.  Every day I go into work, I do my hardest to provide my best ability to complete my tasks so I can leave with a sense of accomplishment and competence.  When you dig deeper and create relationships with co-workers it truly allows for work to become more meaningful and enjoyable. Everyone has their own very complicated personal lives outside of work, and getting to know co-workers can be a very rewarding thing.  When you interact you learn and grow, there are so many things you can learn about the world and yourself when you simply get to know a person. Everyone is there to get paid, no one would do the work for free, but life is more than working it all away to afford needs and wants.  Walking into work with a positive attitude can truly alter the way you perceive the time that you spend there.  It will go from unfortunately having to work today, to “Okay I know I have to go into work today, there is no way around it, lets make this day a good one by working hard and finding meaning within that work and ones self.”  When you tell yourself you are having a bad day, it will only get worse and your frustration will only turn into anger, distress, and ultimately a depressed and dreadful state.  But when you prepare for work knowing that you have the possibility to make it a good day by making good choices and by working hard, you can achieve a greater sense of spending your time at work and you truly will have fulfilled a good day.

By simply doing your best every day, you can go to bed feeling very content and satisfied with yourself.  There are days where I would rather lose a limb than go into work for the next eight and half hours, and on those days where I spend my time dreading everything I have to do, I question my self worth and feel as though all I’m good for is working.  The fact that I have been satisfied overall with every position that I have ever held speaks lengths.  At the kitchen, I would come home every day with throbbing legs and an onion smelling body, but I loved my co-workers and all of the exceptionally sweet elderly couples who loved our Coney dogs.  I made it fun for myself by working hard and feeling good about what I did and liked hanging out with my co-workers.  Had I walked in with a shit ass attitude about how I didn’t want to be there that day, I would isolate myself and fester in my self pity of not wanting to work.

I’m not saying you should go into work every day faking the way you feel, by all means, always be true to carry out the way you genuinely feel, you are entitled to that.  But sure as hell don’t constantly walk into my store with that rain cloud over your head unprepared to assist any customers who want a smile and some decent service.  In life, you truly get what you give.  Working hard and giving yourself the ability to have the best day, every day, will change your life.  Hard work is always noticed, if not by your boss, it is by you.  You know that you did your best to accomplish every task and eventually people will start to see that you are a very efficient and amazing worker who comes in with a smile, you will set the example for the rest.  There is so much more to life than going to work and getting paid, but it truly is a very standard and common part of life that is necessary to live comfortably.  You don’t always have to absolutely adore your job, but you should always remind yourself that by doing your best every day and working hard every time, you will start to feel a sense of respect within yourself for being the best you can be in a situation that is not always the most favorable.

*** Working hard generates a better you ***