I’m particularly glad when the tollbooth employee loves their job; because let’s be frank, you can tell when they do. I drive through the DFW airport toll booth often. Once in a while, that employee says, “good morning” as I take my ticket in a way that makes a big difference in the day.
Here’s what I mean, when the tollbooth worker genuinely smiles, or wishes me a “good” or even a “blessed” day, it makes me smile. You see, they don’t have to be there; they are there because it is the job they choose to do. The reality (for me) is that I don’t want to work inside of a toll booth; and I’m glad someone else does.
I’m sure I’ve written about this before, but honestly, it is really on my mind this week. I wonder how many people think they “have” to work, go to school, take care of their children, or an aging parent; the reality is, you don’t “have” to do those things. We all make choices and whether we know it the option of doing or not doing something is always there.
You might be thinking, “Beth that’s just not right. I have to pay my mortgage, car payment, or insurance.” Really? I know plenty of people who don’t pay their bills or don’t even have a mortgage. Choices are made every day.
To me, this is a great discussion to have with your staff. No one is making them work for you. Ok, some young people may feel like their mom is forcing them to work. Again, the reality is, everyone can choose not to work. Many things may come from that decision; for example you won’t be able to pay the mortgage, or insurance, or you may need to trade your car in for a bicycle.
Personally, I can get overwhelmed at times and think, oh I have to do this or that. Then I stop and remember why I do what I do. I remember that I do have a choice. I remember that staying attached to the why and not being wrapped up in all the “doing” helps me know that I really choose to do what I want do. I think when you struggle, or if you have friends, family, or co-workers that look trapped in the “have-to” of their life or their job, the best thing you can do is to help them remember why they make the decisions they make. If you haven’t thought about your “why” in a while, maybe today is a good day to stop for just 10 minutes and give it some thought.
