I have met a lot of people
in my life and have worked a lot of different jobs here and there. It
seems as if there is no shortage of people who make others miserable.
Especially on the job. I don't care where you work or what kind of
job you do, there always seems to be that one difficult person that
everyone tries to avoid.
Even in public places we
come across rude people who seem to act as if their parents never
taught them basic manners. Never mind when there is one of those
Christmas sales where there are limited quantities of certain items.
Then it's a no-holds-barred brawl for the merchandise.
I had one job that I worked
that had more than its share of difficult people. Of course,
referring to them simply as difficult people is probably being much
kinder than they are deserving of. That's why, when you do meet good
people, it is a good idea to make a practice of appreciating them.
After having worked a number
of jobs throughout the years where I had to deal with some very
difficult people, I had the good fortune of getting a job where
basically everyone on the job was nice. People got a long with each
other, there was no backstabbing and people did their jobs and mided
their own business. Talk about a major contrast between the two
scenarios.
Another thing is that there
were times when I had difficult neighbors to deal with. Neighbors
with no regard or consideration for anyone else living in the
neighborhood. So when they leave and you get a nice neighbor
replacing them, it is amazing how much nicer the neighborhood will
be. There is an old Oscar Wilde quote I like and have referred to a
number of times that kind of suits this topic and it goes like this:
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”
that's kind of how it was when those nasty neighbors moved out of the
neighborhood.
Even in family situations,
things can be hard. I will admit that in the past there have been
times when things were difficult in my family situation. But now
everything is great with everyone in the family. We all get along so
well and we all live in a close proximity to each other. We often see
each other, not just on holidays but quite often throughout the year.
When I say to appreciate the
good people you meet, I don't just mean to show it by doing nice
things for them, which is a good idea, but to also be thankful for
them. I say that because sometimes situations in our lives may change
so fast that we may lose those good things we have in our lives in
the blink of an eye.
Sometimes it is hard for me
to believe how well things are going in my life as far as the people
I deal with on a daily basis goes. For this I am very grateful. I
know from my previous experiences that situations can change
drastically, at the drop of a hat.
Also, I think it is
important to be grateful for the good things in our life for another
reason. That reason is to help keep things in perspective. Everyone
gets down from time to time and may even have moments of depression.
When we remember to be thankful for and have appreciation for the
good things in our lives, it can have a positive effect on our
attitudes and our happiness. It may even prompt us to want to do
something nice for others who may not have things so well. Maybe even
for some of those nice people in our lives who may be going through a
rough spell.
As far as showing
appreciation to the people themselves goes, it's a good idea to do
that from time to time. One of the biggest complaints people have
about their jobs is that their bosses or supervisors, or even
co-workers for that matter, don't show appreciation for their work.
This is also a common complaint people have about their marriages.
They often feel as if their spouse does not show enough appreciation
for the things they do. This may even be a problem with some
friendships.
So if you have some good
people in your life, count them among your various blessings. Maybe
show them or tell them from time to time that you appreciate them.
Nasty people are a dime-a-dozen. Truly good people are a bit less
common. So make a point to appreciate them for what they are.
Photo Credit: image created by Bob Craypoe, also known as R. L. Crepeau
No comments:
Post a Comment