Category: Thoughts

What is your attitude when you come into work every morning? Are you the chipper, self-motivated, and hard working type, or the person that is irritated, lazy, and going through the motions? Not all of us are going to enjoy the work that we do with full satisfaction.

There are tasks that we must complete that may be laborious, while others seem petty and rather boring. Certain tasks can be challenging mentally and emotionally, but through each of these situations we can grow as individuals. We can also learn to love what we do in our jobs. The way in which we approach each assignment can have a great influence on whether or not we will stay motivated to complete the task. Having the go-getter attitude can make time go by faster, and we can have a better experience with customers and our coworkers.

A bad attitude can be toxic to a work environment. I am sure that we all have been in a position with a coworker with a bad attitude. No matter what they were doing, they seemed to complain. “I cannot believe that this customer did this.. Our boss always seems to single me out…I can’t believe that I have to do this for my job.” This is not to say that we won’t have our moments of weakness in which we might have our complaints. For we are all human and we will have good days and bad days. But when it is a habit, it becomes too much. This type of person is a complainer.

On the other hand, it is more beneficial to be a person that looks on the bright side of things. We may have our ups and downs in our job, but at least we are employed. For there are many people that are without a job and would gladly take the job that we simply tolerate. We should count our blessings.

If we are truly unhappy with the job that we find ourselves in, then we should consider looking for a new job, perhaps in another industry. Although we have gained experience that does not mean we should continue to pursue a career in a given area. Not every job is meant for anyone. Certain people perform better than others. Moreover, our main priority should not always stem from money. We may make a substantial amount of money at a job, but our time and efforts can be better suited in another job.

We might struggle to go to our job each day. There are challenges that we might face that seem overwhelming and we feel like we should simply quit. For some, that might be the answer. Nonetheless, for most of us, we need to do our best to put our best foot forward as we maintain a good attitude, and work to our full potential. Otherwise, we should not work in the job that we find ourselves in. We should not waste our time or the time of our employers.

Hello, how are you today? 
Do you ever wonder why we ask others this cliche question? This may seem obvious, we are expected to take an interest in others because we were taught this from a young age. The old saying goes, “Treat others as you would want to be treated.” However, do we really take the time to get to know others on more than a superficial level? Very few individuals take the time to make a genuine connection with others. In today’s society, there is the normal tendency to spend a certain amount of time on some form of social media. Should I update my Facebook Status? Perhaps I should take a photograph of something “interesting,” and post it on Instagram with a well-worded caption to garner little red hearts from my followers. That’s definitely not enough, I also have to strategically form a sarcastic remark to post on Twitter about some current event. 

Social media has its benefits, but it also comes with drawbacks. It causes us to isolate ourselves from interacting with others in-person, while creating a tolerance of virtual reality. In-person interaction is more powerful. On the contrary, social media interactions can be edited, superficial, and self-centered. We can pick and choose what we want to present to others, showing only the best of ourselves. There is nothing wrong with trying to be the best that you can. However, we are multi-layered individuals that are composed of good and bad characteristics, not just one-dimensional. 

We need to be aware of how much time we spend sitting with our eyes glued to a computer screen or with our fingers frantically tapping against a cell phone. Instead, we need to develop the habit of truly getting to know others. This is not always easy. To successfully get to know another person, it is vital to be an active listener. Not everyone has this skill because there a major difference between hearing something and listening. I am sure we have all had a conversation with someone else who was obviously not listening to us, we could see it in their eyes, their body language, and their one worded responses: “Yes,” or “Okay.” Instead of taking this lackadaisical approach, we need to actively listen to others.

Simply put, we need to start to unplug from all of the distractions that are around us if they are replacing in-person interaction with others. If we find ourselves consumed with social media, we need to tone it down a bit so we do not miss the world around us. 

As we rise from the cervices of our warm beds in the morning, we can be overcome with a sense of bliss. A new day means many things: a new sunrise, endless opportunities for us to pursue-a fresh start. Or this is the ideal situation. 
We can inevitability let routine crowd our psyche as we unconsciously begin our day the same way we always do. For some, this might include the function of the snooze on their alarm clock. Just a few more minutes we tell ourselves. After we have the gumption to finally get out of bed, we parade around like a lifeless piece of flesh; our eyes are barely open, our voice mumbly, and our movements perilous. 

This does not explain the population as a whole. There are those (Godlike to some) who are called “morning people.” They are peppy in the morning and it does not appear that sleep deprivation or the forces of the night had any affect on their outlook. Don’t we all wishwe could emulate these people? 

It’s completely fascinating to consider that as human beings we are prone to be creatures of habit. We eat at the same restaurants, where we order the same foods. We socialize with the same people, and talk about similar interests. And on, and on, and on. 

Once in awhile, we might consider ourselves a bit adventous, a bit of a risk taker, as we order another menu item at a restaurant, all the while contemplating whether it will stand up to our usual order. Or if we’re feeling crazy, we might try a new place to visit, but to avoid all injury, we’ll probably choose something safe on the menu to avoid a completely horrible dining experience.

We might not all be this predictable, but I am sure each of us knows at least one person that follows each of these habits. And knowing this, it’s thought provoking to consider that as human beings we are comfortable with order, familiarity, and safety.

 We do not always think highly of change. Yet, if we are honest with our tendencies, we can have an ounce of hope and little by little, we can step out of our comfort zone to reach bigger and better things.