Hello everyone,
As you all know, well all of you who live in North America know, tomorrow is Thanks Giving, and I think that we have a lot to be Thankful for. While over the year we have are ups and downs at work and what is opportunity to one is not opportunity to another, I think that there is a certain amount of thanks that should be given and I think with this crew that's not a problem and allow me to explain.
Today I worked with one of swing drivers who he's had a rocky life with lots of ups and downs, most of it was his own doing and I think he knows this, but he was talking today about how he doesn't really like working in this industry and he doesn't particularly really love nor hate the company, but I think he's more of on the side of he tolerates work, because he has too and I guess when you do something you don't like or are forced to tolerate it's hard to be thankful especially when your heart is not in it.
But at the end of the day even because his hearts not in it, he still has things to be thankful for, the company is paying him to work, the company is paying 401K benefits sure he might not give a hoot about any of that, but there still flipping the bill on it.
You know there are two ways of looking at things, and I will interject my own opinion here and say this, the attitude that some people carry of "well I screwed around to much as a disgruntled youth and now I'm a failure because I have this job what ever that job is making a living." Is the wrong attitude to have. I've had some crappy jobs I guess, but I never thought they made me out to be some kind of failure. I think it was this famous quote by Bill Gates and don't get me wrong I'm not a Bill Gates fanboy, but I think this quote was a good one :
"Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
grandparents had a different word for burger flipping
they
called it Opportunity."
I understand that people weather it be this industry or that industry or this job or that job, might not be hot for what ever they are doing, but even if your not hot for something you can always use it as a stepping stone and as an opportunity and I think even for people who have jobs they don't like be thankful that you can maybe use that job as an opportunity to do something better, if that helps at all. I know it's hard to be thankful for something you don't like doing or maybe you feel trapped, but as I've always thought and have tried to live by is the rule of learn as much as you possible can from what ever industry you are working in.
As far as grass is greener on the other side syndrome goes some people say it is, some people say it isn't.
Well the guy I worked with today used to work for the railroad and he said the railroad was way better then GFS, yet, he worked there before he worked for GFS, what happened?
Well the railroad got slow and laid him off and he needed to find a new job stat. Well we've to my knowledge have never had a lay off at GFS, were always hiring or looking for people to work and do things and in a lot of cases we don't have a big extra board either so most people who are new can come in and get steady work rather quickly.
The guy I was working with said to me something along the lines of basically "See where my screwing around in life got me, it got me to this job right here."
I take offense to that somewhat, because for one I had to work really really hard to get to where I am now, and for two it's not like were not compensated fairly and have no benefits we have insurance and 401K with company match and profit sharing so it's like you know maybe being such a downer you should be thankful that your here and not some place else and that you have a job you can go to and make some money and have some benefits, instead of complaining, be thankful that you have a job you can complain about.
I think that there is something to be said for being content doesn't mean you can't work for more or for better, but you can strive for more, but also be happy and content in the process. The thing of it is, is unthankful people can have it all and they still won't be happy and they still will be miserable and that's not a good way to go through life.
So I am urging everyone this Thanksgiving to be thankful for what they have even if it's not there ideal situation, maybe just maybe there non ideal situation they can turn around and use as an opportunity or stepping stone to something else to doing something else they may enjoy more. So even if your thankful for your job/career/family and everything else more power to you and if your not thankful for your job/career or wife,husband spouse or whoever, just be thankful for the opportunity and be thankful that you know, what you do not want to do and I guess be thankful for the learning experience.
Like I said treat things as opportunities instead of just downers and if it's a place or job you are trapped at I would say hey look at it this way, most people who feel trapped at a certain job or company still have lots to be thankful for, that job probably still pays them well, probably enough to drive decent cars and have a house with cable TV and all the modern amenities and they probably get to come home to a house full of people who love them. Which is a lot more then other people get, so there's always a bright side.
Anyhow I wish all of you a happy thanks giving, for all of you out on the road and in the truck stops tonight be safe and thank you for your service to this nations economy, oh and by the way I'll be all out there on Friday and Saturday working right along with you so don't worry, I'll be out there too!
Anyhow every take time to think about what's important and you know another thing and don't take it for granted be thankful for your health, because that's something that can go without warning and if you don't have your health you don't have much of anything. So I think everyone here as a lot to be thankful for and will keep it going here as this year draws to a close and a new year comes our way.
Anyhow have a happy thanks giving everyone.
Mike
Cleveland, Ohio
Things to be Thankful For on Thanksgiving
Discussion in 'LTL and Local Delivery Trucking Forum' started by Mike2633, Nov 23, 2016.
Page 1 of 3
-
FreightlinerGuy, Banker, road_runner and 15 others Thank this.
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
-
KillingTime, FreightlinerGuy, MACK E-6 and 3 others Thank this.
-
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you on TTR!
goose0324, 4mer trucker, FreightlinerGuy and 5 others Thank this. -
Second that! Had to close by myself on a wild night as everyone was bombarding my meat market and having to handle that and get all our equipment sanitized for the night I was a bit aggravated.
Then I realize just how fortunate to have a job and actually a really good job now. So easy to forget how many things we have to be thankful for!FreightlinerGuy, MACK E-6, street beater and 3 others Thank this. -
-
-
Thankful for
-
Mike2633 Thanks this.
-
Various things I've been trying to do haven't worked out including college, but I still have my CDL to fall back on. I'm set to start a refresher program next week to hit the road again and get my financial #### caught up again.
I sort of relate to the guy in the OP because there are a lot of things about OTR that drive me nuts, but I'll just have to get through it because otherwise the only thing in my tiny town is retail, restaurant, and scarce factory work. In the long run, I'm feeling thankful I may have the means to just get out of this town.gntorres61 and Mike2633 Thank this. -
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
Page 1 of 3