I have been out of a work environment working with a lot of people for a while. Having lived on a mountain in the middle of nowhere for a year, working construction with a crew of one or two in rural areas for a year, and then out on a turkey farm in the middle of nowhere Missouri. I just didn’t work with many coworkers in any of these jobs.
The people I did work with were owners/employers/independent contractors/etc., and the attitude working with them was SO much different than the position I am in now.
This week has been a stiff awakening getting back into the “employee” style of working.
I started at a restaurant this past Monday as an expo. The two biggest reasons I started this job were the fact that I am much more naturally an extrovert, so after working for so long in places without people, I really wanted to get back into the world a little bit. The second reason was that I really wanted to gain some experience dealing with people in a semi customer service kind of role. I wanted to see how well I could do working with people, catering to their needs, and potentially, testing out some sales techniques.
But that’s really not what this post is about. That’s just a preface. Something I have realized after just three days working in the job is that everyone makes a practice of complaining. However, I know that’s normal in any job. People don’t like to work, so they complain. I get it. What I don’t understand, is that a lot of the people complaining don’t seem to show any signs of actually disliking their job. It’s like they come in with this attitude of having to complain to fit in with everyone else.
“Oh no! I can’t let them think that I enjoy my job or they might think that I want to be here and my life is easy! Better complain and say I don’t want to be here.” I don’t know what actually goes on inside everyone’s head, but I could swear to you that half the people working actually don’t mind their job at all, they just feel compelled to say that they dislike it to fit in with everyone else.
My challenge to you (and myself, really) is to go in and enjoy the heck out of your job and let other people know it too. Even if you do dislike your job, you’re not going to make your day go by faster complaining. Who knows, maybe by pretending to enjoy it, you actually will. And if you do enjoy your job, then even more reason to show it! Let people know that you are happy with what you’re doing!
This especially hits hard to those who claim to be Christians. I am so often tempted to give into this “woe is me” attitude. Instead, I must have a Philippians 2 approach:
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” – Philippians 2:14-15
Instead of complaining, remember what life you have been given, and remember what life and love you can show to others.