Lessons Learned (Part 1)
If you could think of one person who made the biggest impact on your life, who would it be? Before you read any further, I want you to pause and really give this some thought.
Whether we can think of one person or many, I think we can all agree that we are impacted by those around us. Everything we watch, read, or listen to affects how we grow as a person. As humans, we are like clay and can be molded by outside people and experiences. Many of us have learned something from someone, whether that be from friends, family members or even a one-time encounter with a stranger. However, many times the people from whom we learn the most would be those we see every day at work. Bosses, coworkers, employees, and customers teach us something new that we can take with us along this journey we call life.
The posts that follow will contain all the lessons I have learned up to this point in my life (age 46). You may be asking, “Well, how many different people have you really encountered along the way?” For starters, I have had over thirty jobs in all kinds of industries across the board. You might say I had a problem with commitment, or you might say that I just hadn’t found the right fit. Either way, I saw a lot of different customers, bosses, co-workers and company rules that were different from the next. There were many jobs that I absolutely did not like, but I found that I learned something that was useful for the next job to come my way.
In the jobs/lessons that follow, you will see that there was always something to be learned. Something that changed me or made me better for the next position. If we look hard enough, we will see that life is always teaching us something. We just need to be willing to open our eyes and mind, to what that might be.
The first job I ever took was my first lesson.
Babysitting
As a babysitter for the neighbors on my street, I learned that kids could get out of hand quickly. One must have a creative plan in place to keep them busy. Children get grumpy, sad, excited, scared and have all sorts of other emotions throughout the day. Being quick on your feet is a plus and having lots of energy is an even bigger advantage. One thing I could always do was keep kids entertained, easily. Usually by being silly or coming up with some fun game off the top of my head. People, in general, love to smile and laugh. This is especially true for children. If you can get a child to start laughing, then you have them in the palm of your hand. They are much more likely to listen to you, if you can take away any uneasy emotions. Creativity is a key component when babysitting youngsters.
I bet you can think of a time you went to see a comedian and couldn’t stop laughing. In fact, I bet your face was hurting, because you were laughing so hard! And if the person wasn’t on stage, then they were probably the life of the party and kept everyone on their toes. People love to laugh and feel good inside. It is even a proven fact that being in a good mood is better for your immune system.
Life isn’t always going to go as we planned. Sometimes we have to learn to do a 180-degree turn and make the most of it. We may not feel like being in a good mood, but we need to focus on having a plan in place that gives us something to think about when we feel our behavior changing. Maybe we think about how others would love to be in our position right now and going through what we are going through. Maybe we think of a memory or person who brightens our day. Whatever it is we need to make sure we know how to call upon this memory during our mood change. Life is too short to stay frustrated.
Make the most of who you are, because there is only one you and the world needs your talents. Help make the world a better place, each and every day you roll out of bed. Let your feet hit the floor and think of how amazing your life really is. It may not be all glitz and glamour on the outside, but no one knows your thoughts and how you think. That is something that is sacred to you and only you. It is what makes you special. Focus on your uniqueness. This world is changed by one kind act at a time. Many times, it is the silent warriors who make the biggest difference. Be who you want to be and who you know you are capable of being. One step at a time. One act at a time. Be ready for life to throw you curveballs and when it does, just say, “I saw you coming, and I was already prepared for you!”
One of my first lessons I learned was:
Have a creative plan in place and to act on it.
Brad Rhame 