Being Grateful in the Workplace

My previous post outlined my theory about how your thoughts make an impact in how you live your life. I built on that idea and think that I've found a more spiritual approach to the workplace.

Yes, we are close to that time of year where we start thinking about being thankful, and doing unto others. That's great, but what about the rest of the year?

Even if you can't stand your job and get the shakes every Sunday night because you know you have to go back in the trenches on Monday morning, it may help your frame of mind to figure out how to be grateful for the garbage in life.

For example, you can be grateful for:

• A Nasty Boss: Even if you think your boss is the devil incarnate, there are several things that can help the situation. First, even if you're miserable, you're getting paid for it. Just imagine if you were forced to put up with it for nothing! A bad boss can also "show you what you're made of." How you handle a bad boss situation says volumes about your character.
• The Bad Co-Worker: Whether your office has a "suck-up" or a "jerk," you can learn from the situation. Number one, it shows you who the team players are, and who you should stick with. Number two, it shows you what kind of person the boss values (i.e. Does the boss like the suck-up or hate the jerk?). Number three, it shows you how to be more adaptable to a work situation - everyone in your company is part of the same team. You need to learn how to get along with a variety of people.
• Office Politics: I think there are two sides to this. On one hand, observing the office politics will show you who gets ahead, and how they're doing it. On the other hand, office politics will show you who you can trust, and who you should avoid. Either way, watching from a distance for awhile can be beneficial to your career in the long run.
  
• If anyone else has other ideas, I would love to hear them!

I'm not saying that you should stick with a bad situation, no matter what. By all means, if your situation is absolutely intolerable, you need to change it. I'm merely offering a way of thinking to make things seem a little easier until you can find something better. Whatever the case, I wish you success in the long run!