Work conversations often fall into two categories – people complain about their job or complain that they don’t have a job. I suppose we get more sympathy when we complain. I wonder why we don’t talk more about the things that go well for us. Not boasting, just being thankful.
As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday, my colleague, Annabelle Reitman offers some wisdom in her column on The Transition Network newsletter, Work: What Are You Thankful For?
She describes how we can go beyond just being thankful to have a job, to looking at the specific things about our work that we appreciate. Yes, the money is important. Most of us realize the relationships we’ve built are also important to us. What resources do you have that make your job easier? What is it about your work that energizes you? How do these things, and others impact your overall life? Do they enable you to do other things?
If you are looking for work, you already have an inventory of the things you want from your next job. Have you inventoried what this transition period currently offers that is helping you get through it? (A pop song lyric just popped into my head, “What doesn’t make you stronger…”). Recognize your ability to be creative and to persist in your search. What new talents and relationships have you developed through both your job search and any volunteer activities? Even a jobless period gives us things to be grateful for that we often miss when working full-time.
I don’t need a holiday to remind me what I’m thankful for. Do you?