Helping out at Regina’s Canada Day in Wascana Park I met a young gentlemen who was volunteering for the day. Blain, a quick-whited kid, just a bit younger than myself, had an adorable dog named Dewey with him at all times.
Just after sunset in the park, a man rushed over to Blain and I, he had a severe problem on his hands. Here is how the he started the conversation, “I have to go to the washroom but when you close the outhouse door you can’t see anything in there and the Legislative building is locked, I need to go to the washroom, what should I do?!?” Without missing a beat in a condescending tone Blain snapped, “well I could guild you!” Trying as hard as I could not to laugh at what just occurred in front of me, I helped this guy explore his washrooms options, apologized to him for not having lit outhouses, and he went on his way. It was a very interesting moment for me.
You see, Blain is blind but that doesn’t really stop him from doing anything. He can golf, get to and from places on his own (via talking GPS device), volunteers in the community and can go to the washroom in the dark on his own. Blain doesn’t complain very much and he makes the most out of life. I think if we saw the world through Blain’s eyes we wouldn’t be so quick to complain over a dark jiffy biffy.
So smile, we have it pretty good.
Photo Credit: Steven Wilde “Fireworks” from the Regina Canada Day Facebook group
What gets you up in the morning? What makes you go to a job day after day hating it, is it a means to an end? What is that end? What do you do on the REALLY bad days? You know, the ones where you feel like quitting, like the world is against you, like you just want to get out.
Something must inspire you to keep going.
For me its coaching. I love volleyball and I love teaching kids about the game. Last year my Senior Boys team from Winston Knoll won the city championship, the gold medal that was presented to me that day hangs around my rearview mirror in my car as a constant reminder when things get tough.
I’ve had some pretty bad days, days where I’m not sure what to do, days when I look into my future and for some reason it is a dark and negative picture (though nothing compared to Gabrielle). That all goes away when I get in my car and see that medal. It’s a constant reminder that I’m here in this world for a different reason than just having a job and getting by. It tells me that there is more to life than money, work and what society calls success.
My success is the smiling faces on those kids every season.
What inspires you?
When I finish my degree the incoming URBSS asked me to speak to them about what to expect being on the society. I didn’t know exactly what I was going to say when I agreed to it, but the final message I gave has stuck with me and I feel myself repeating it more and more to students. That message?
You can always retake a class but you can never retake a party.
You’re probably thinking I was a party animal, who went to EVERY party Derek Wu hosted, that didn’t care about his grades and just had fun. You’re right, but there is something peculiar about people who have a lot of fun. They meet people, the interact a lot more, they learn how to talk to people, no, they learn how to engage people. There’s no class that teaches how to communicate with other people, that one your left to learn on your own.
In twenty years time you’re not going to recall how AMAZING a particular study session was but you may, just maybe, look at some old Facebook pictures and chuckle to yourself about how much fun you had.
Yes life does have a destination but it’s the journey that makes it all worth it.
Recently I have been asking a lot of people how they like their job and it didn’t surprise me that the vast majority said they were unsatisfied. The more I asked, poked and prodded about their career, the more positive it became. Then it dawned on me, sure there are some better careers than others, but our generation enjoys complaining. Let me explain.
If you have what most people would call a “boring” job (accounting, office job, the majority of the crown corporations) you probably have great security and make an above average wage. You complain about how board you are at work because they block you from using Facebook and Twitter but your paid four weeks of holidays and have “earned days off” so it’s worth it for now.
If you have what most people would call an “amazing” job (entrepreneur, creative director, manager at a small company) you probably have great flexibility and actually enjoy the majority of the work. You complain about how you’re underpaid and how it must be nice to collect a check every two weeks. You struggle but your passionate and an office job just isn’t your style.
So why must we always complain? Our generation is never satisfied, we want the greener grass and the internet has only made it easier to see the grass, touch it, tweet about it and then determine if we like it or not. Is their a solution? It’s an opinion so let me know if you disagree.
You need to stop comparing yourself to others. If you tell me how much money you make it’s because your job sucks and thats the only good thing about it, save it, I don’t care. Instead of comparing and complaining ever try making your job better? Possibly making work “fun” for a change? I know sounds weird doesn’t it.
Finally, I think managers in general need training on the “generation Y” employee; their expectations, their motivations and what they want out of life. Complaining gets you no where, start thinking of innovative solutions to making your job better, what have got to lose?
