I just returned from a run, and as I ran down my street I noticed that everyone’s empty garbage cans were in the middle of their driveways. It’s trash day.
This is a pet peeve of mine, particularly because I live on a very busy two-lane street where people do stupid sh*t like drive a hundred miles an hour and flip their cars going around a corner, just like this braniac did Sunday night.
(He also got himself out of the car somehow and fled the scene, leaving his passenger trapped in the car, severely injured.)
So, while the trash men apparently think it’s hilarious to throw my garbage can in the middle of my driveway, I wonder how funny they’ll think it is when I am run over in the middle of the street because I have to stop traffic, get out of my car, and move my trash can when I get back home just so I can get my car in my driveway.
This is not just about responsibility or the little annoyances in life…this is about safety.
I’m sure there are plenty of people who would love to be employed right now and wouldn’t do stupid sh*t like that…who would be grateful for the paycheck and would treat their customers with respect. (Yes, I am a taxpayer, therefore I am their customer.)
Not to mention…if people didn’t do wreckless, irresponsible, and uncalled for crap like that, wouldn’t the world just be a happier place??
So, while you may be in a job that you’re not crazy about right now, and perhaps occasionally tempted to be rude to customers or do sloppy work…think again. Remember that a lot of people would gladly trade places with you right now!
As Laurie Ruettimann said when she was a guest on Dream Job Radio in December, not every job has to be a career or a passion. Sometimes it’s ok to just have a job that pays the bills and allows you to have other passions in your life.
And if it’s really that bad, FIND A NEW ONE AND QUIT.
The only thing that makes me sad about leaving 2009 behind and starting this #glorious new year is that Bobby Bowden is no longer the football coach at my alma mater, Florida State University.
I know FSU has sucked in football for quite a while now and a lot of people blame Coach Bowden for that, but I never have, and never will, and I’m sad to see him retire.
We all have ups and downs throughout our careers and if you think you are the exception then please write to me in the comments and tell me all about it and I’ll be the judge. If I think you’re right I might even send you a prize. I have a whole box of fantastic career-related books from some great authors that I will never find the time to read due to such a ridiculously short attention span, so you never know.
Anyway, I graduated from FSU in 1993 and that was the year that FSU won the National Champtionship in football for the very first time. I remember so clearly how Bobby was always accused the next day in every newspaper around of “running up the score.” I mean, the scores of games with even our toughest opponents were like 70-7 -- if it wasn’t a complete shut-out -- and the accusations were hilarious to me as he literally had the third string in by the time we started third quarter if not the water boys too.
Those years -- the early 90s -- were the heyday for FSU football and, I have to tell you, did we [the students] ever enjoy every second of that ride! I can only hope that you, too, had such an amazing time in college as I did — and for us football [and the subsequent parties] was a big part of that!
So tonight I find it fitting to pay tribute to Bobby Bowden upon his final win (!) and his retirement.
Thank you, Coach Bowden, for all your dedication and hard work all these years, and for all you brought to the students, faculty, alumni, and fans of FSU…we wish you many, many years of relaxation and enjoyment with your family and friends in your retirement.
We love you Coach Bowden!
A note of caution: this video made me cry. Actual tears. It’s bittersweet, and definitely worth watching.
I think 2009 has been a year that we won’t soon forget for a large number of reasons. Most of them not so great…though I think that the many unfortunate events of this year have inspired and spawned a lot of excellent ideas and movements.
I won’t lie. I’ll be extremely happy to close the books on 2009.
Cartoon by Hugh MacLeod
I would also be a very happy camper if I never had to hear any of the following words or phrases again:
Authentic (If I hear this word one more time I seriously just might poke my eye out with a fork.)
Social media
Engage
Thought leadership
Ping me
Recession
Off the grid
Personal branding
Building community
Tweetup
Seriously people.
Can we talk about something else?
After reading (and writing) thousands of blog posts on how to “build community,” “be authentic,” “be engaging,” etc…I think we’ve got the picture.
I want to talk about something meaningful and important. I want to talk about things that will make an actual difference.
For example; I hear a LOT of complaining about what’s happening with healthcare, though I have yet to hear anyone lay out a single, thoughtful proposal for a better solution. Do you have one? If so, I’d love to hear about it.
What about unemployment? Who’s got a solid, well thought out plan to get people back to work?
And then there’s age discrimination. As if that’s not a massive problem.
We have millions of baby boomers who are forced to delay or even forgo retirement in this country because they’ve lost their home and/or had to spend their retirement savings just to survive through unemployment or under-employment.
And I read yesterday that people in their 30s are now experiencing age discrimination.
WTF.
Next thing you know we’ll be discriminating against college students before they even graduate. Why don’t we just start hiring third graders.
As a part of a most special day on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, I could not have been more honored to host an international roundtable of HR rock stars on such a special edition of Dream Job Radio.
With so many talented people and live, open microphones, you can just imagine the stream of ideas and information that flowed.
We covered subjects that HR professionals, managers, executives, business owners, and job-seekers alike are sure to benefit from! It was the most fun I’ve had yet on Dream Job Radio, and I think you’ll agree!
I know that many people who are seeking work focus on permanent positions without ever considering contract or freelance work.
Guess what?
While they don’t take taxes out of your paycheck and they typically do not provide you with benefits – THEY PAY YOU!
ACTUAL MONEY!
That you can like, BUY STUFF WITH!!
If I had to guess, I [...]
If one more person asks me “How’s your love life?” I’m going to punch them in the face.
Fortunately I learned a long time ago how to shut someone up really fast when they say that after I figured out that it’s always married men who ask single people such a rude and stupid question. (No [...]
As a member of the SmartBrief on Workforce Advisory Board, Editor Mary Ellen Slayter asked us to share our thoughts on what’s happened over the past year from an HR / labor / work issues perspective.
It’s been quite a year.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor it now takes an average of 27.2 weeks – [...]
There is a Workplace Bullying Institute!
WHO KNEW?
And their tagline is, “Work shouldn’t hurt.”
Ok. I am in love with this organization and their mission!
I just wish I’d known about them when I worked for was being tortured by Evil Boss Lady.
If you’ve got a bullying boss, following are some things that you can do about it [...]
From the time I was in my mid-twenties to my early thirties I had a pretty fantabulous (yes I just made that word up and I love it so SHUT UP) job doing – essentially – corporate recruiting – for a major U.S. life insurance company.
I say essentially because in six years I was promoted [...]
We had a great show with Jane Golder and Beth Farrar, including a very interesting conversation on Baby Boomers and Gen Y in the workplace.
Click here to listen to the show!
Jane Goldner, Ph.D., president and founder of The Goldner Group, is one of the nation’s leading authorities on talent retention and trusted advisor to Fortune [...]
Each morning I wake up to a fresh new blog post from Chris Brogan.
You want to talk about discipline? Chris has discipline.
If you have a blog or have ever had a blog you probably know how difficult it is to find the time – let alone the ideas – to write a new blog post [...]
I’ve heard a lot of talk recently about companies banning social media in the workplace and recently I came across this article on Socialnomics.
“The USA Today reported on October 22, 2009 in their Snapshot®* that 54% of companies completely block Facebook, whereas another 35% apply some form of limits. That leaves only 11% that don’t [...]
