I am Exactly Where I Am Meant to Be

It was a small, un-momentous moment...

Mom & I were sitting in the coffee shop at the bus depot yesterday morning as we waited for her bus. One of the employees was washing the floor around us as we sipped our coffee. Mom commented on the clean floor. I had been noticing the employee simply going through the paces of her job. All I could think was, "I am glad it is not me ..."

My thoughts had absolutely nothing to do with what one may assume. Never, at any point did it cross my mind that the job was 'beneath' me. The complete opposite was true. I had endeavored to work at this coffee shop's main competitor. I couldn't do it.

The pressure was high. I couldn't keep up. I couldn't learn fast enough. I had a supervisor hovering over me telling me all that I wasn't. I wasn't given the opportunity to overcome that phase before I was told that I was no longer needed. It was an experience that I will never forget. It humbled me in ways that I have never been humbled before.

One of the lessons I learned through that experience was to appreciate every single person doing their job. We have absolutely no idea of that person's back-story. Do they have a boss breathing down their neck behind the scenes? Is this a job that they are just learning? Are they afraid to go out and try something new because the fear of failure is high? Was getting hired for this job the beginning of a new life for them? We have no idea what another person's story is. It is guaranteed that everyone has one.

Learning the ropes at a new job is hard work. Very hard work. Each and every time I see a person going through the paces of their job like they could do it in their sleep, I appreciate all that it took for them to get to that spot.

Doing a good job is a badge of honor that everyone should wear proudly. I don't care what the job is. Whether it is picking up garbage ... to serving me my French fries at McDonald's ... to being a WalMart greeter ... to assisting me with my banking and other important life decisions. I appreciate each and every person doing their best in their endeavor to serve me. Because it is a very hard job to do, let alone do well.

I am back at home, working for the best bosses in the world - the parents of the children that I tend all day. They respect me. They appreciate me. They trust me. They are happy with the job that I am doing. I am doing my best ... and I am being appreciated for that.

This ... is exactly where I am meant to be right now. I am loving the fact that I know and appreciate that little fact.