Work as a Sharing Exercise

I was talking with my daughter today about my needing to go to work. She began to pout and explain that she was sad that I had to go.

I was about to launch into an explanation that I had to go to work to earn money to put a roof over her head and food in her belly… But I knew my standard explaination wouldn’t land, so I paused and considered what would a 3 year old understand…

So I launched into a simple story that I trade with my boss. I have knowledge, skills and time. And my company has money. I share my time with my company and in exchange they share their money with me.

As I spoke to her, I felt empowered. I’d never really thought of work in these terms, and the new perspective actually made me feel more powerful. It was quite empowering to look at work from a fair exchange vantage point.

Often, especially when the world is filled with financial fear, we view our jobs as positions of subservience. We are working at the whim of our employer. And many employers like it when we feel this way. We can turn the tables and remind ourselves that we work here on the whim of ourselves. But that is simply switching dominance with dominance. This becomes an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth mentality, where everyone ends up blind and toothless.

Instead, moving our thought process to a sharing mindset, we move toward fair exchange and balance. No longer are we in a power-play, or exercise for dominance. We are now exchanging our valuable services for a share in the companies gold.

I very much enjoyed this new way of looking at my job. I choose to share my time and talents and my company has selected me to share it’s wealth with.

I hope this thinking process leads you to a more empowered day.

Namaste,

Kevin