Quiet Habits

While some people might say their “dream life” is to sit around and do nothing all day, I am grateful for work and I believe that even those who say they want to do nothing all day would miss work if they really had nothing to do. Putting in some hard work really does give us some pride. It helps us develop skills. It works our bodies and our minds. Humans need challenges to overcome and problems to solve. We are logical beings who derive pleasure from solving a problem (at least, that's how I think, so I assume it's how most other humans think, too).

I am grateful for the opportunity to get to work most days, have problems to solve, feel included, and like I can make a difference in someone's life almost every day. My job matters and my work matters and that brings me a lot of fulfillment. No matter what you do for work, try to find those moments to improve lives, solve problems, learn something new, and have some pride for your occupation, whether you're folding clothes at Old Navy, deep frying potatoes at a burger place, writing code of a start-up, or playing with spreadsheets in the corner office. What you do matters to someone, even if you can't see the immediate benefits or the work feels mundane or unappreciated.

I'm also grateful for an amazing job at an amazing company. There are many, many benefits where I work, beyond what was listed in the job description. Not only does it make me and my family financially secure, it has helped me develop skills more quickly. I've met amazing people that I now count as very close friends. We work on a product that helps people change lives. We get to have fun and work hard every day. We get to help people and make people happy. I give thanks for this job as often as I can, because I know there are many who are not so lucky or fortunate. I hope that the tools we create can, in some small way, ensure a better future where everyone can feel like they have a great job and be financially secure.