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BY Joel Junker
Want to Improve Your Life? Be Grateful!
My favorite week of the year, Thanksgiving week. A few of my reasons why: short work week, fall weather, start of the “eating season,” Thanksgiving Day, a holiday without the stress of buying gifts, football, and time focused on being grateful. Author, former CEO and Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishing, Michael Hyatt wrote a great blog post on how being grateful actually improves one’s life. Benefits include reduced stress, sustained health, improved relationships and keeping negative emotions in check. When I travel, the crowded airports, lopsided bed and the 9th meal that week from Chipotle Grill can get me down. I have found that taking time every morning and evening, the bookends of my day, to journal 3 things for which I am grateful, immediately changes my mood, outlook and well-being. I completely agree with Michael Hyatt’s post.
So, to improve the lives of those working at Cameron-Brooks and all those we serve, here is my professional grateful list for Thanksgiving 2014. I encourage you to take time to make your list and share it with others as well.
- Health and physical abilities. I am thankful for my ability to play sports with my children, reduce stress with exercise, work a full day or travel without any issues.
- Work colleagues. I think we all genuinely want to belong to something bigger than ourselves. I work with amazing people who share the same values and strive to live them every day. This team works hard and also knows how and when to have fun.
- Friendship. Work seems a lot less like work with trusted friends at work.
- Learning. I love to read, learn and apply new ideas. Some work out and some do not, but the process makes work interesting.
- Meaningful work. Not everyone has work that directly impacts other people’s lives. I enjoy coaching, mentoring and developing others. I find meaning in helping others reach their potential.
- Career at Cameron-Brooks. I am fortunate to have grown and developed with the same company for 15 years now. I know this is contrary to most careers today; however, I am grateful that I am at the same place I started when I left the service and I can look back on how the company and I have changed over those 15 years.
- Talents. This is not to be boastful, but rather grateful that I get to do what I do best every day.
- Feedback. While I like positive feedback and I am not necessarily grateful at the time I receive constructive feedback, I have colleagues who have the courage and candor to tell me what I need to do to get better. I want to become my best self and be great. To do so, I need to keep getting better every day. I can’t do that unless someone occasionally “shines a mirror” at me.
- Laughter. Work is mostly serious, but it should not be all the time. This took time and maturity for me, but I can now laugh at myself and work with a team of people who have a professional sense of humor.
- Military Officers and Clients. While they are our customers and foundation of my career, what I really mean here is that I serve and work with some amazing people who have done and continue to do extraordinary things. All of us at Cameron-Brooks appreciate you, and I personally thank you for all you teach me so that I can also grow.
From all of us at Cameron-Brooks, thank you for reading our blog, and trusting us with your career search or hiring needs. We wish all of you a meaningful Thanksgiving holiday.
Joel
