“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.” – William Arthur Ward
Everyone of us has places to go and people to see
. Part of life is getting out and taking care of our daily needs. For many of us, this includes some type of job or school environment. So how do we make these daily routines into something more than just a box to check on our to-do list?
It is easy to look at work or school as a stressful obligation. We might begrudgingly go there with the hope that someday we will get to do what we really want to be doing. While this is an understandable approach to take, there is another way of looking at it.
Whether it is work, school, going to the market, or getting coffee, we are going to be connecting with other people along the way. Even with the automation that has been implemented in grocery store checkout lanes, we interact with workers and other customers as we walk through the aisles. It is these brief encounters that can change the quality of our life experience.
Much of our job training and education focuses on the primary goals and bottom lines associated with work and “making a living”. While these things are important, over- emphasis can take the joy out of what we are doing. After all, when we go to school or work, we are not just working, or learning, we are also living.
Once we have decided on a job, or are committed to a school, we get to choose the way we experience those undertakings. If done well, we can have fun, enjoy the people we work with, and be highly productive. We can also leave work, or school, feeling relatively energized and inspired, rather than frustrated and drained.
In my case, meetings were once the most dreadful part of my job for the school district. Over time, I have come to see these meetings through a different lens. Rather than being a test of my abilities and competency, I now recognize them as opportunities to connect with and encourage others.
I can recall a meeting we had with a family that was in turmoil over the direction their child was taking in school. It would have been easy to hunker down and defend myself and the job we were doing as a district. Instead, as a team, we took the opportunity to listen to the concerns of the family.
As we listened and shared our perspectives, the whole tone of the meeting changed. The group shifted from a sense of separation to one of wholeness. Our collective energies merged into an effective problem-solving think tank. The meeting concluded with a new sense of hope for the student and a renewed sense of confidence in what we were doing as a team.
Perhaps you have been so concerned with the bottom line, or about appearing competent, that you have lost sight of the human element in one of your endeavors. Recognize that this is normal, and that it is not difficult to shift the energy back into one of creative productivity. Realize that you are not alone and that it is okay to reach out to the other people on your team.
This might include connecting with a supervisor or teacher to get input or clarity on something. Rather than being a sign of weakness, it is actually an indicator that you are willing to put your ego aside in favor of the greater good. By taking this approach you will open the flood gates to greater success and a deeper sense of security in every undertaking. You deserve it.
Edward Biagiotti is the Inclusion Specialist for Culver City Unified School District. He is also co-host of the popular radio show, Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed, to find out more go to www.DarrellandEd.com.
