Morning Friend,
"Doing a good job is sometimes like wetting your pants while wearing a dark suit...it gives you a warm feeling, but nobody notices !"
I have seen this quote on posters of a "'sheepish-looking" Charlie Brown so I assumed they were the words of the late great Peanuts creator, Charles M. Schulz himself.
Further research however attributes the words to a lesser-celebrated but no less prolific talent by the name of "unknown".
Ironic isn't it that the profound work itself should be like another good job running warmly down Mr. Unknown's legs as it's mistakenly credited to someone else?
I'm not sure which is worse, having your good work go unnoticed or someone else receiving the accolades for it?
The truth of the matter, ( here comes one of my "Life's Harsh My Friend"...), the truth of the matter IS, my friend... that MOST of our good works during our all too brief time on earth go completely unnoticed, and a good many ARE attributed to others - sometimes by some far less scrupulous individuals than ourselves !
In an ultra-competetive workplace this can be troublesome.
In a work environment where job security, compensation and advancement relies on good workers being identified, one could easily spend as much time ensuring they get correctly recognized for their efforts, as they spend on the work itself?
Or worse, one could spend ALL their time "sidling", "spinning" and "brown-nosing" instead of DOING anything other than taking credit for the good work of others?
On the other hand is the NON-competetive workplace like the "Union" shop where "accolades" and "bonuses" are neither sought nor given.
A "good" job requires that you show up on time and complete the basic required tasks.
You can "knock yourself out" all you want striving for excellence, doing extra, being the best, and going above and beyond, but all the "thanks" that you might get, won't buy you a cup of coffee.
So what's a poor soul to do in this "starkly cool and unfair" world where exceptional performance can go unnoticed, be stolen or is deemed unnecessary?
I would suggest that a person of high moral fibre and a strong sense of self-worth should have no trouble setting their OWN standards of job, and LIFE performance.
At the end of the day, ( unless you're sociopathic or otherwise deranged), it's YOUR face in the mirror.
IF you can face it, can you answer its' questions?
- Did I do my BEST today?
- Did I live up to my STANDARDS?
- Did I make myself PROUD?
- Can I set my standards HIGHER?
For many like myself who've found true success through a DAILY life of small, but not insignificant triumphs, the nightly ritual of self-assessment and evaluation is ALL the BONUS I require.
My "standard" is to simply do the BEST with the tools the Good Lord has given me.
I don't always get noticed.
Other people sometimes take credit for my work.
I'm not REQUIRED to go the extra mile.
But I am the setter and keeper of my own standards and they are high indeed.
I wrote a little question to myself and it's posted on my "office" door at work and on my kitchen wall which reads:
"IF I OWNED THIS COMPANY, WOULD IT BE IN MY BEST INTERESTS TO HIRE ME?"
In answering the question I'm often left with a warm feeling that doesn't require I wear a dark suit.
...or mutter "Good Grief" either.
Love tImMy:/
Laugh as much as you breathe...
Love as long as you live (acknowledged)
