It’s time to take some occupational action!
I walked into a little shop in an airport and asked the guy behind the counter how he was doing. He mumbled something about being as well as he could be, being stuck there. When I asked him where else he would like to be, he thought for a moment and told me he’d rather be in Alaska. I asked him why he wanted to be in Alaska, and he said it was because anywhere had to be better than working at the crummy job he currently had.
It was like I was talking to myself 30 years ago. I, too, had been a young man working at a dead-end job. I had no hope, no prospects, and no clue as to how I could change my life. It looked to me that this young man was in pretty much the same boat.
I didn’t have very long to talk to him before my flight took off, and it seemed that I was an unwanted guest at his pity party. But in the short time I had, I did my best to convince him that he did have options available.
At no other time in history has there been so much opportunity. If you want to do something different for a living, then in most cases, the only thing stopping you is you. Yes, you’ll have to do some creative problem solving. Yes, you’ll probably have to sacrifice. Yes, it won’t be easy, but most things worth doing rarely are.
I don’t believe your job is a complete representation of who you are, but you do spend a significant portion of your life working, so why not do something you feel good about?
If you don’t like the job you’re working at, there are three positive actions you can take.Get another one! Take a hike. Take a class. Get some training. Transition yourself into a better situation. Change the job. Know it or not, you have influence. Instead of running from the problem, you can be part of the solution. What can you do to make your workplace a better place to be? Change yourself. My dad used to say, “If everyone else in the world has a problem with you, then it’s not the whole world with the problem.” As I mentioned in the Power of Choice chapter, your attitude can change the way you see the world. How is your attitude coloring your work experience?
The thing you have to decide for yourself is whether you choose to be the type of person that does something about your job situation, or the type of person that does nothing.
Excerpted from The Seven Powers of Success; Unlock Your Strengths, Unleash Your Dreams. www.charlesmarshall.net © 2013 Charles Marshall
Charles Marshall is a nationally known humorous motivational speaker and author. Visit his Web site at www.CharlesMarshall.net or contact him via e-mail at charles@charlesmarshall.net.
No comments yet.