Wisdom from working

My work life in a nutshell:

1) Shut up and listen: I love to say what I think. I usually have pretty strong opinions and sometimes I just talk before I think about it...and sometimes this tends to get me in trouble. So I have learned that sometimes even though I don't agree with something an employer asks me to do, I just have to do it. Just do what they ask, no ifs ands or buts about it. It doesn't matter if I think there is a better way or a way that makes more sense. They sign my check and thus I must do as they say.

2) Time off: It seems that I have always had jobs where it was easy and accepted to ask for as much time off as I needed as long as it was in advance. Those were part time jobs, where there were a good amount of employees who wanted more hours if I didn't want them. Well...my job now is not like that. I do all of the scheduling for our technicians and so it is important for me to be here. Others can do my job but it makes things a little more comlicated. So, I can't just request days off whenever I like. In fact, sometimes it seems like pulling teeth would be easier than getting time off. I feel guilty for asking for one day off every couple months. So...I don't...unless I absolutely have to. Sometimes, I wish I could go back to my part time jobs where it wasn't a big deal and I wouldn't really miss the money that much, but I can't. This is what I have and I have to learn to live with it. So I treasure my weekends and try to fit as much as possible into a Saturday.

3) Office Politics: This part of a job is frustrating. It seems that I am the low man on the totem pole. I was last to get hired and so it seems that I get everything last or sometimes get stuck with the sucky jobs.

For instance: we all got a week off during Christmas time. The only thing was we each come in for a day to man the office. There were 4 of us chosing days and of course...I got stuck with the day no one wanted. I'm certainly not complaining...I loved my week off. Just saying that there is a food chain in the workplace and I am at the bottom of that chain.
I also usually get blamed...maybe not the right word...more like asked if I made a mistake first ...because I am the youngest and don't know what I'm doing (sarcasm).

It seems.... at least in my mind... I have to try harder to earn respect and acceptance than say the other two women who are in their 40's-50's. No one does this intentionally but it happens and I have to deal with it. But I adjusting and realizing that I have to work that much harder to get ahead.

4) Sometimes life isn't fair: I am an adult now. I am out of college and working a full time 40 hours a week, 8-5 job. And sometimes it sucks. But that's life. Sometimes I really don't want to get up early and go to a pretty boring job, but it pays the bills. I make pretty good money and when I get the paycheck it's worth it. Sometimes it's really hard to make it to friday without going crazy but then I get the weekend to refresh and by the time Monday rolls around again, I'm ready to start a new week. It's a viscious cycle but it's life. I really do look foreward to the day when I can stay at home with my kids and not have to work. But for now I do and I am coming to accept that, hard as it may be. But I have a husband that works really hard (he has already recieved a dollar raise at a job that he has been at for less than 3 months) and tells me all the time that he wishes I didn't have to work full time. He doesn't want me to have to work forever and that is comforting. So someday I can quit and he a homemaker (honestly never thought I would long for that day) but for now I am a working woman.

Moral of the story:

Why I am writing this? Who cares? This will probably be boring for most to read...so I will say it is more of a journal post for me. I had a really hard time at first adjsuting to no school and full time work. It was a slap in the face to say the least.
So I wanted to post about the lessons I have learned so far. Life is tough and sometimes little things that seem unimportant to life tend to make or break our happiness. Jobs are one of those things. I used to dwell on the negative and have a wo-is-me attitude but now I am trying harder. Trying harder to learn from the bad times. Trying harder to be more mature and be more of an adult. Trying harder to be more positive. But what I am always trying to do is live my life to the fullest.
We were sent to this earth to learn. What we learn is up to us. But I honestly belive that every experience in life is meant to teach us somthing. I think I forgot that the last 6 months. I just thought that I hated my job and I needed to find a new one.
But then I realized that it was my attitude that was the problem. I just had to realize that life doesn't always happen the way we want but we have to live with it and try to learn from it. So sorry if the first part of this post seemed to be one big complaint. It really wasn't. It was more of a...what have I learned so far. I will leave you with this thought. It helps me get through each day:

Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around, shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.
Life is like an old time rail journey...delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." -Gordon B Hinckley