Some days you're the windshield, and some days you're the bug!

Ever have one of those days when things just seemed out of whack?  I want to start out today by saying that I am going to get up on my soapbox, and to some you may get irritated, but others may see this as a breath of fresh air, and if you do, then feel free to pass on my sentiments to anyone you come in contact with today.  I am in the midst of trying to get a new job, times being what they are that is no easy task.  As I have tried to navigate through the countless job sites and job postings, I have come to the conclusion that things suck right about now.  I don't mean things suck because I have yet to find the perfect job, things suck right now because companies have lost touch with what is really important and what is not.

I know that in Corporate America, and when I say corporate I mean the workplace in general, many companies have focused on the bottom line, that being profits.  Now I am a Capitalist, and I believe that capitalism is the only system that will ultimately outlast every other system out there.  I do however think that we have taken this to the extreme, and we have done it without regard to how we treat or see those who work along side of us each day.  I wrote a book not long ago called, The Rebirth of the American Workplace, in this work I tried to spell out many of the mistakes that businesses in general are making, and regrettably continue to make.  I am not here to beat up on every business out there, but that being said, I am tired of what I see and it is time to spell out some of the crap that workers are having to contend with.

Let me say that my belief says that inside each person is a destiny, whether they ever discover it is another issue, but inside each of us is something that we were destined to accomplish in this life.  I see countless people who go through their day hating life, hating their job, and otherwise being miserable.  The question I have for those people is why?  When will enough be enough and when will you finally come to the realization that life is far to short to allow others to dictate what you should have, what you should do and how you should do it?  How great would each day be if when you get up in the morning you say to yourself how blessed you are to be doing the one thing that brings joy to you beyond measure?  How great would it be if when you got up in the morning all you could think about is all the lives you will touch with your infectious smile and joy?  How great would it be if you could find a way to help others get to the very place you are in and you would not trade this place for all the riches in the world?  This is a place that is achievable, and this is the very place we should each strive to get to.  Herein lies the problem:  most companies don't have a clue as to the importance of this, nor do they much care if anyone ever gets there.  Sure there are companies out there who will give you lip service and tell you that there is a fine line when it comes to family/work balance, but when it is all said and done it is nothing more than just that, "Lip Service".  I'm here to tell you that things need to change, or there will be a day when it all comes toppling down and we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

I have had numerous job interviews over the last few years and I am saddened to say that there has not been a single one of them that ever asked me the really important question, that being, "What can we do for you?"  The interview has always, and regrettably will probably never change, been about only what you can do for a company.  Now I am not saying that this is not important, after all they will be paying you for what you do, but work is a two-way street although many companies have forgotten this very important fact.  Just once I would like a company to ask me what is important to me and what do I need to get out of this job.  How can one ever make a good decision about accepting a job if they do not have an idea of what is in it for them besides the weekly pay check.  Truth be told we all have to work to make money, but money is not the only thing that is important and the sooner you realize this the sooner you may stand up and demand what you need.

Now I know there will be those who think that I have gone off the deep end thinking that a company is there to service me instead of me working my tail off so that the profit sheet can show the share holders what they expect to see.  Let me fill you in on a little secret: if you are not interviewing the company at the same time they are interviewing you then you are setting yourself up for the same results you have had for other employers you have worked for in the past.  It is time to stop the madness and finally take what is your just reward.  We have so been conditioned to accept the status- quo that we have forgotten how to fight for what is rightly ours.

During my most recent job search I have had to take some time to determine what I want, what I am willing to accept, and most importantly why am I beating myself up over companies who don't give a damn whether I get the job or not.  They have a position to fill and once that is done they have done their part for God and Country.  When is the last time you felt that a company really cared about what made you tick?  I mean when was the last time someone in management ever sat you down and asked what the company could do for you to make things better or to help you achieve a dream you had?  Sadly to say this does not happen that often and if it were to happen they could knock you over with a feather you would be so shocked.

In the workplace today we have abdicated our rightful place of expecting to be treated fairly and with respect, because god forbid you should rock the boat and upset management's apple cart.  We have decided what we will put up with because we have to earn a pay check to pay the rent, the mortgage, or the tuition bill.  We have accepted being sat on, spoken rudely to, and otherwise made to feel like we were the ones at fault for the lousy work environment we are in.  I look forward to the day when I start my own company and as the head of this company put the focus on what I can do for each person that works with me.  If you want to recession proof any company then start by taking care of those who you expect to take care of you.  Have you ever wondered why so many people are leaving the mainstream workplace to go out on their own?  They are tired of being kicked about and never receiving their just reward.  If you think that paying them a weekly pay check is doing them a favor then you have no right owning or running a business.  I know that may sound mean spirited, but lets face it, we owe our livelihood to those who work and sweat each day in our companies and the sooner you realize this the sooner you may make some much needed changes.

My mission in life is to teach others that life is more than just a nine to five job, five days a week.  When is the last time you could say to yourself that you were working to live and that you are not just living to work?  I know people who will get up on a Monday morning already wishing that it was Friday.  You have to know that the week is going to bite when you begin it this way.  Ladies and Gentlemen it is time to break out of the way we have always operated and begin to realize that you have a right to happiness, not only in what you do, but how you do it.  It is time to come to the conclusion that what has always been doesn't have to stay that way.  If you are sick and tired of being on the other end of the "what have you done for me today" mentality, then might I suggest you think long and hard on what will make you happy and go after it.  At the end of the day, you are the only one who can make the choice.  Do you stay in a place that only provides you a means of survival, or do you decide that life is more important and that your own dreams are more important?  To many this may be a day to break free from the rat race we call "expectations" and move forward in those things that you know you should be doing but as of yet have not stepped out into them.

If this resonates with you let me know, and if you need help to make the shift, well then get ahold of me and lets chat.  No one deserves to be held captive by the ignorant mentality that many companies display today.  My desire is that everyone find their destiny and begin to walk in it.  Until the next time, keep your chin up and know that greatness begins with acceptance, and that is accepting the greatness that resides in each of us.