Punchy,
I am a few days behind on this blog so I will try to write on a few subjects tonight to catch up. I had a rough night last night and a rough morning this morning emotionally as this being unemployed thing is really starting to kick my butt. All that being said, I got up and went to the gym anyway it was a struggle and I did not feel good about it but I went anyway, then went home and worked on some things with the University that I wanted to take care of before too long like getting my vaccination record.
In talking to the Employee health clinic I was not only able to get my record, but the lady there whom I knew expressed her apologies and said that they missed me and my employees missed me even still. I also emailed my former lead worker and told her that if she needed anything I would always be willing to write a letter of recommendation for her. She said that it had been great to work for me and that though I did not work there still the staff still wanted to do something for you and she wondered if it would be OK to do so.
Here is the point I am getting to do the right thing and be good to people. These employees are not sad that I am gone because I was a tyrant. They are not bothered by my leaving because they are all worried about what may be next for them. I think that the sadness comes from the fact that they feel I treated them well. I have not in these lessons or blogs written anything about this but you must always strive to do the right thing no matter what the cost or challenge. In that you will touch peoples lives in ways that you may never know.
Open doors for people, do your best not to interrupt, say please and thank you, If you have to give an order do so politely. You may be amazed how far fairness and kindness can take you. There may be people who will challenge you on it, but do what is right because it is the right thing to do. Treat people equitably. If you feel you are wronged, seek redress, or at least make sure it is documented.
When I say do the right thing, I do not mean do it only because you know it will have rewards, I mean do it because despite the outcomes it was the right thing to do. Doing the right thing sometimes means doing things for the right reasons and motivations. If you open the door for a cute girl because you hope it may lead to her paying attention to you, you have just done the right thing for the wrong reason. If you take someone on a date and pay the bill because you hope that they will think you generous, you are doing the right thing for the wrong reason. Everything has some motive, make sure yours are clear before you do things. Do what is right because it is right and you wish to do it, not because you want something out of it and this looks like a venue to that.
Act as if the world owes you nothing and you will never be disappointed if it does not pay the debt. Your teachers, your friends, your lovers, no one owes you anything. Do what is right so that the doing is it's own reward. Help someone with their homework, or do something nice for someone not so you can win favor with them, but because you wish to do it out of the kindness of your heart. Then if there are rewards, they will come to you freely and unexpectedly. It is far better to live this way than to believe some one owes you something and then are disappointed if they fall short or do not agree. Do things so that the doing is reward enough.
I do not know why my staff loved and were so loyal to me, just that they were. I was able to do so because I did what I thought was right by them, it did not always work but at the end of the day, they were good to me not because I made them fear me, but because they knew I had their backs. It was never about them owing me a good days work, it was about doing the right thing and letting the chips fall where they may. Do what is right and the world will do you right.
See you soon,
-Dad
