Whiners and Complainers At Work

So, did a rusty old white panel van pull up in front of your workplace today, slide open the side door and dump a body out with hands bound behind their back, blindfold over their eyes and a gag over their mouth? No? Then I guess that means you showed up willingly. And so did everyone of your co-workers. So what’s with all the whining and complaining once you get there?

Look, nobody shows up at your house in the morning, puts a gun to your head and forces you to go to work. You go willingly.

But you say, “I have to go to work.”

And I say, uh, no you don’t. You simply have to make sure the bills get paid. And there’s a big difference between being forced to go to work and having to pay the bills from expenses that you created.

Let me explain. You or maybe some of your co-workers may resent the fact that you are forced to go to work or you are going to fall behind on the bills and possibly be faced with being hounded by the collections agents or, worse yet, having to suffer the embarrassment of declaring bankruptcy.

And it’s the threat of that public humiliation that keeps you not so much motivated, as scared. And you can do some pretty dumb things when you’re scared. You don’t feel terribly like you’re in control.

It’s hard to think of yourself as a leader in your own life when everyone is making demands on you. In fact, you could say you have become victimized by your job, your life and your dwindling prospects for the future.

And now, your employer, who is admittedly well-meaning, wants you to attend a stress-reduction session as part of an employee day. In this session you will be told how to breathe to reduce your stress or to close your eyes to visualize a peaceful meadow as a magic journey into your happy place.

And it all works well until you get home and open the mail and see more bills. So what next?

Well, here’s how you Make It Work!

All the “serenity now” mantras and “ohm-ing” are not going to change your mind about you feeling victimized by your circumstances. The truth is, you are in a job you choose to stay in so that you can pay the bills. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, there’s a lot right with that. You’re doing a good thing by providing for the family and at some level, the work you do must be OK or you’d be out of a job.

But honestly, you have two choices at work: one is to feel victimized by your circumstances and feel you are trapped – and the other is to take accountability for your work and to step up into a leadership role in your own life. You are in control of your circumstances.

Every morning, you CHOOSE to punch the clock. So how about you change your attitude while you continue to choose to be there. How about you make a decision to be noticed for something other than the one that complains and mopes around incessantly?

You have that choice too.

Now go Make It Work!

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Whiners and Complainers At Work

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So, did a rusty old white panel van pull up in front of your workplace today, slide open the side door and dump a body out with hands bound behind their back, blindfold over their eyes and a gag over their mouth? No? Then I guess that means you showed up willingly. And so did everyone of your co-workers. So what’s with all the whining and complaining once you get there?

Look, nobody shows up at your house in the morning, puts a gun to your head and forces you to go to work. You go willingly.

But you say, “I have to go to work.”

And I say, uh, no you don’t. You simply have to make sure the bills get paid. And there’s a big difference between being forced to go to work and having to pay the bills from expenses that you created.

Let me explain. You or maybe some of your co-workers may resent the fact that you are forced to go to work or you are going to fall behind on the bills and possibly be faced with being hounded by the collections agents or, worse yet, having to suffer the embarrassment of declaring bankruptcy.

And it’s the threat of that public humiliation that keeps you not so much motivated, as scared. And you can do some pretty dumb things when you’re scared. You don’t feel terribly like you’re in control.

It’s hard to think of yourself as a leader in your own life when everyone is making demands on you. In fact, you could say you have become victimized by your job, your life and your dwindling prospects for the future.

And now, your employer, who is admittedly well-meaning, wants you to attend a stress-reduction session as part of an employee day. In this session you will be told how to breathe to reduce your stress or to close your eyes to visualize a peaceful meadow as a magic journey into your happy place.

And it all works well until you get home and open the mail and see more bills. So what next?

Well, here’s how you Make It Work!

All the “serenity now” mantras and “ohm-ing” are not going to change your mind about you feeling victimized by your circumstances. The truth is, you are in a job you choose to stay in so that you can pay the bills. And there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, there’s a lot right with that. You’re doing a good thing by providing for the family and at some level, the work you do must be OK or you’d be out of a job.

But honestly, you have two choices at work: one is to feel victimized by your circumstances and feel you are trapped – and the other is to take accountability for your work and to step up into a leadership role in your own life. You are in control of your circumstances.

Every morning, you CHOOSE to punch the clock. So how about you change your attitude while you continue to choose to be there. How about you make a decision to be noticed for something other than the one that complains and mopes around incessantly?

You have that choice too.

Now go Make It Work!

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