I hear from a lot of people who struggle to get out of bed everyday. They moan and groan when the alarm goes off. They hit the snooze button three times or more. They lay in bed, mumbling "It's time to get up," over and over again. They wait for the very last second to get out of bed. Not very long ago, I used to be one of them.
These days, I'm hopping out of bed, well-energized, and looking forward to my morning.
What the heck happened?!?
What happened is I got a little respect - some from my co-workers and my manager, some from myself.
I see now how my life for the last thirty years has been ravaged by depression which stemmed from family upheavals, a toxic religion, and unpleasant work environments. I didn't even realize it was happening. It felt normal to be dragging all the time and I blamed it on my narcolepsy. Now, I realize I was wrong.
At my present job, I've been given a gift over the last three months. As the night manager, I have great responsibility, yet few demands. I've been able to rest and relax with little stress. My manager listens to me and respects my decisions, treating me as an actual manager and not just some monkey who checks people in after midnight. I've re-learned that I can trust myself. I think I'm feeling happy. (Geez, it's been so long since I've been happy, I'm not sure!)
About five years ago, I asked one of my closest friends "What's wrong with me? Why does nothing I do work out? Why does nothing I do make me happy?" I was frustrated and discouraged. What was wrong? I didn't like or trust myself. I let employers bully me around. I let a toxic religion tell me that I didn't have any value. I let my acquaintances walk all over me. Anyone would be depressed after years and years of that.
A little respect is great medicine. It's both an antidote and an antibiotic. It makes you stronger.
Great post Rob. Absolutely true.
ReplyDelete-Laura (your co-worker:)-