Today, I walked into work and was surrounded by large poinsettias in preparation for a company event that we are hosting. The whole area was dotted in red. Instead of “stopping to smell the roses”, I quite literally stopped to admire the poinsettias. They made me realize that I am surrounded by co-workers that are dedicated to bringing beauty and comfort into others’ everyday lives.
Maybe it’s just the community I have chosen to follow on social media, but it seems like every other post that I see sends that message that to reach your potential and to be happy, you have to quit your corporate job and start a business venture off on your own. From what I observe, the millennial dream is to work from home and set up an online platform. While I think these “influencers” are inspiring and positive, it is important to point out that corporate jobs can be beautiful in their own way too. Working at a company doesn’t mean that you have failed to unleash your creativity or that you are any lesser than those that employ themselves. The world needs and is better for their being both kinds of jobs and both kinds of people.
I’ll be honest, I’m not as passionate yet about what I do as some of my co-workers, and I admire them for that. However, that doesn’t mean that I’m not content where I am. Little things like flowers and positive reports make me want to figure out ways to explore my job and find more joy in the workplace. I’m not sure what this means or looks like yet, but I will report back when I lived it for some time and have better experience to offer. I don’t know what I’ll be doing 5 years down the road. All I know is that I’ve never been more thankful to be at work on a Monday morning.
