The best learning experience is realizing what you don’t want. I’ve learned I have to experience something I don’t want in order to know what I do want. This is a free will zone and choosing to do something is the only way we will know if it is really what we want.
Does that make sense?
There are times when we make choices in our lives which lead to unhappiness. This is how we learn. Yet, so many people make a choice in their lives and upon learning it is something they really don’t want, they refuse to choose something else.
For instance, when you get a job which you think you’ll like but a few months into it you realize it isn’t what you thought it would be. But instead of seeking a more fulfilling job, many choose to remain where they are.
That doesn’t make sense.
Life is way too short to be unhappy, especially when it concerns your work. The way you make your living occupies much of your time so it’s better to be happy with your job, isn’t it?
When you are unhappy with your work it shows. People who you are supposed to serve while you are at work will easily pick up when you are not satisfied with what you are doing. Personal happiness affects your attitude.
Furthermore, oppressive environments in the workplace are a source of undue stress for many employees. Do you feel like you are walking on eggshells throughout your workday? Employees who feel threatened or intimidated on the job could easily be coerced into doing something which they otherwise wouldn’t do.
High stress levels in the work place are very unhealthy.
For the last 13 months I have been employed by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. For the most part I have enjoyed working for my tribe and also appreciate most of my co-workers. Still, it can be an extremely oppressive environment when one works for the tribe. Tribal employees are often at the whim of the people elected to office.
Tribal corruption trickles down from the top. When the people at the bottom of the rung are negatively affected by what is happening at the top, the workplace quickly becomes an extremely toxic environment. Bad behavior exhibited by just one person can bring the morale of an entire department down.
It’s not fun working with people who act like your salary is being funded out of their bank account. Some employees are extremely vociferous about the actions of their coworkers. Yet, they fail to see they often exhibit the same behavior.
Consequently, I view the Bible as a guide of sorts. I have some favorite passages, one of which is Matthew 7:3, which reads: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?”
When you work diligently to improve your own behavior, there is no time to worry about the behavior of your co-workers.
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