day 333: Serenity At Work

I seldom like to mix the different blogs that I write, but this is an exception. This post comes from a blog I posted on Tuesday January 26th at Glassdoor.com, a company where I am Director and a regular weekly blog contributor as part of their "Clearview Collection".

As I sat in church this past weekend, before the service I saw on the rotating message screen I saw that the church was offering a resume workshop for those who are out of work and want to improve their resume. The night before I had been at an event where I had been asked by someone what their son, who is graduating from college, was to do when the jobs that had been going to college graduates were now being taken by those with experience and who are willing to do positions that are below them experientially, making it so he can’t find a job. The day before that I had a long conversation with a friend who is stuck in a job that he dislikes but doesn’t want to take the chance of moving to another company where the security may not be there. As we know, these stories and questions are only the tip of the iceberg of the pain that people are feeling. And with the media messages we receive daily about the uncertainties in the financial market and shifting government actions, we are all affected by the collective mood swings of the nation.

When you add it all up, it may be that we all need a dose of serenity to make it through the trials and tribulations of today’s work world. Maybe we need to dissect the famous serenity prayer that is used by many organizations and people to help them through difficult times:

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change….” Whether or not we are happy in our jobs or secure in the positions that we have today, one of the best things we can do is to get clear on the things that we cannot change and learn to accept and live with them:

* National economic stability
* Ups and downs of the stock market
* Messages from the media
* The whims and decisions of our managers and company leaders
* Changes in the outlook of our companies against the backdrop of the fragile
economy

“…the courage to change the things I can….”

* Carry a positive attitude around for ourselves and others
* Work hard and be the best we can be
* Help out others who are less fortunate than we are
* Be as ready as we can be or when the market does come back
* Make the most of the time we have while we are in a job that isn’t as challenging
or as mentally exhausting as before

“….and wisdom to know the difference…”

* Surround ourselves with people who we trust and know to help us through the
difficult times now, or when they come
* Ask, read and search before we make any move or decision
* Take advantage of all the tools for knowledge and transparency as it relates to
jobs, salaries, interviews and companies
* Think in the long-term and know that six months or a year here or a year there,
is not the end of the world.

“…Amen”

day 36: C'mon, Get Happy!

Bobby McFerrin sang, "Don't worry, be happy!". That song became a huge hit because it struck the chord we all want to have inside of us; no worry and all happiness. Well, isn't that what we are supposed to be allowing our faith to generate? So, why is it that we can feel this way with a number parts of our lives but when it comes to work, it is just the opposite; "Worry, don't be happy"? Sure, we want our work to be enjoyable and we want to find joy in it, but as we have discussed before, work was not given to us originally as a gift (thanks Adam), but that doesn't mean that we can't and shouldn't strive to find happiness in how we put our talents to use to build, sell, market, support, or create. That happiness is within reach and we will feel more fulfilled and whole at our jobs if we can find that chord. After Solomon had gotten done telling us in Ecclesiastes how questionable work was, he goes on to tell us in Chapter 3:22; "So I say that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why they are here! No one will bring them back from death to enjoy life in the future". I find these words inspiring. I also take these words to make me want to change my attitude on the rough and tumble days. I also know these words to be true as many a family or relationship falls apart at home because someone is unhappy at work and they carry that unhappiness and frustration that comes with it back into the household. As much as the consultants teach, "check the office at the door", it is so much easier said than done. Maybe it is a set of small and surmountable frustrations at work that are keeping you from being happy. Today would be the day to take the serenity prayer to work with you. Go after changing those things that are burrs under the saddle that you can change, and just let go the other stuff that is above your pay grade or out of your sphere of influence. You can't change it all overnight, but start today with a little change. Enough of these and they will add up and happiness might sneak back into your cubicle.


Reference: Ecclesiastes 3:22 (New Living Testament)