The Power to Choose

When I was growing up, no one would have dared utter the words “I want to be happy in my job.” I can only imagine the scornful response from parents and teachers: “What are you talking about? A job’s a job’s a job. Shut up and do your homework.” That was then. 

I want to be happy in my job.

We  were  not expected to be happy at work. We just went out and got a job. These days, you can make a choice. Do you want to be happy at work? Or do you want to settle for a job that’s “good enough,” even though it’s not a good fit for you?

If you are unhappy at work, there’s a natural tendency to complain about your job and do nothing about it. If this is the case, you aren’t willing to do what it takes to change the situation. And that’s okay. But if you decide to do nothing, at least stop banging your head against the wall. Stop moaning about your job. And be aware that staying in a job you dislike, or working around people who constantly make you feel uncomfortable, can make your work suffer. You can waste years of your life not realizing the reputational damage that you’re doing to yourself on a daily basis. It just chips away until everyone can see that you’re totally disengaged.

THE POWER TO CHOOSE

You don’t have to live and work like that, though. You have the power to make a choice, and an infomercial can help. By looking at what’s revealed in your infomercial—what do you genuinely love to do, for instance, and how much of your capacity is being used—you’ll be forced to look in the mirror and come to terms with where you are at in your working life. Then you can choose to stay or to go. 

A Message of Hope this Christmas

Christmas is the time of year when everybody is supposed to be happy, secure, and safe. Christmas songs filled with sentiments of hope and joy occupy the airwaves, and the glitzy images in shopping mall windows show us what Christmas should look like.

But the reality is that, for some, this Christmas will be a harsh reminder of the absence of happiness, security, and safety in their lives.

For the unemployed, Christmas can be an unsettling time. Rather than seeing the new year in with warm, fuzzy optimism, many of them feel a sense of foreboding at what might lie ahead.

But despite the bleak outlook, there is always hope. I’m a firm believer that adversity is the mother of invention, and I spend a lot of time helping my unemployed clients to see this period in their lives in a new light. Often, when they take a good look at themselves, and at the job they’ve lost, or left behind, they find that it was simply the wrong job for them. This is so important.

I know from experience that losing your job is not easy, but the time of introspection that often follows is absolutely necessary if you are going to build something better.

Today, I thoroughly enjoy every single day of my work. I’ve never been happier or more fulfilled -- and perhaps it won't be long before you'll be saying the same.

My very best wishes to you and your family at this holiday time.

JB