Back in 1902, James Allen published a book titled, “As A Man Thinketh.” In that little book of about 70 pages, Allen’s simple philosophy was that whatever we think about is exactly what we create. It has been a philosophy that has proven itself over and over again since 1902. That simple little book, along with other classics like Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (1937), helped build the self-help industry that inundates us today.
But Allen, Hill and a host of others had it right: whatever you think about you bring about. If your perception about others in your office is negative, you will find that your experiences with them are negative in nature. If you think your boss is a graduate of the Jerk-Boss School (I’m actually pretty sure that I once had a boss who actually displayed his Jerk-Boss School diploma on the wall), then your boss will end up being a jerk. You will hate your job because your boss is a jerk and most of the people you work with are jerks, and your customers are jerks and guess what? You hate your job. You’re getting just what you expect.
Barbara is not a happy woman. In her mind, the only way for her to find happiness at work is once she finds a new job. Now let me describe Barbara to you: she doesn’t smile, she closes her mind to any possibility of someone actually changing her mind about her work, she sits with legs crossed and arms folded protecting herself and no matter how much you may point out to her that she is resisting every opportunity to examine her own participation in her level of expectations, she will not change her mind. She will only be happy once she finds a new job.
There’s no sense helping her to see that the one common denominator of every bad job she’s ever had is actually her. She refuses to see it. “Don’t confuse me with facts, I’ve got my mind made up,” I can almost hear her saying to herself.
So it’s really no surprise that she hates her job. She hates the people she works with. She hates her boss. She hates her hours. She hates getting to work and having to put up with traffic. And I can only imagine how much the rest of the staff hate having her work there.
Is her solution to this predicament to find out why she hates her work? Will she work on finding out why her outlook on her job sucks? Will she even recognize that her attitude towards her work is brutal? No she will not. She will say she will finally be happy when she finds another job.
God help the poor soul who hires her because I will guarantee that at first it may be better for her, but over time her new job will be to blame for every bad thing in her life.
“But Kevin, you don’t understand,” I can hear some of you whining. You’re right. I don’t understand. I don’t want to understand. It’s not my problem it’s yours. I don’t burden you with my problems and it’s likely your co-workers don’t burden you with theirs. Get over yourself.
You choose to go to work each day. No one forces you (it IS a choice you make everyday – stop whining that you need the money to pay bills) to show up everyday. You can stop going any day you want. Stop making life so crappy for the others in your office. You’re making it tough for the rest of us.
As you think, so it is. If your job sucks, well maybe it’s not the job that sucks.
3 comments:
As poignant as ever. Truer words are rarely spoken!
This is OH SO True!! I am currently a Barbara .... AND if you can believe it I have recently watched "The Secret" Hummmmm, what is it I am bringing to my life but strife? Even though the "JOB" is not satisfying, the things I do through the day are a continual improvement to what info was previously provided. I will now change my viewpoint and consider my gracious stars that I am where I need to be right now and that it doesn't need or have to always be this way. I am the creator of my destiny with nothing else but "MY" ATTITUDE!!!
Well said ... I would like to post this is the WC at some of the places that I have worked -listening to incessant whining about their crappy job. If it's that bad ... there's the door. I don't need to be dragged into another's negativity especially when I like my job, my employer etc. but unfortunately that negativity, over time, can drag me down too - until I remember what my father instilled in me; that being - it is a priviledge to have a job NOT a rite. We are all dispensable. So smile when you walk into the office and say "Good Morning" to whomever you greet on your way in - you may have just made someone else's day.
Post a Comment