Lessons from Odd Jobs
Overcome your pride - As a talented young man looking for a job that would allow me to use my Go-given skills, I had to suck it up and take a job pushing yo-yos and kites in order to get by. It was a pretty humbling experience, and I had to learn that humility the hard way.
- Have fun - This was a job where in order for me to be successful, I had to loosen up and have a little fun with our products and with the people walking by. Keeping a positive attitude, and making work fun is something that I have continued to carry with me even in other jobs.
- Invest in people - I remember one of my employees was a young man who had been working there for a while, and was actually really passionate about yo-yos. I could tell that he was a little disappointed that they hired me for the manager position rather than promoting him. So I helped teach him the skills that he needed so that when I left, I could confidently recommend him for the job. He got it, and he was ever grateful for my investment and belief in him.
This post is not just a message about what I've learned, but it is part of a Group Writing Project Meme from HighCallingBlogs.com (which I am a member of). The guidelines for this meme are simple:
1. Write a post about some strange job you’ve had and what you learned from it.
2. Link to this and other “Lessons from Odd Jobs” posts around the highcallingblogs.com network, or quote them in your post with proper attribution. (Note: There were no other posts at the time of this writing.)
3. Tag your post “lessons from odd jobs”—if you use technorati tags or another form of meta-tags.
4. Tag other bloggers by linking to them in your post and inviting them to participate in the meme. Tag as many people as you like! So I am tagging...
- Joie de Vivre
- A Proverbs 31 Woman Wannabe
- Inspirational Experiences
- On the Horizon
- Joyful Christian Wife
5. Link back to the Lessons from Odd Jobs page in your post and email this month’s host at “Marcus AT highcallingblogs DOT com”. Linking back and emailing Marcus isn’t a requirement, it just helps us keep track of what’s going on.
Thank you for the kind words at my blog, Dan. This is an interesting meme! I'll definitely be responding.
Shalom!
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You totally deserve it! You've got a great blog, and you need to be told that. Keep up the great work! Let me know when your post is up. I cannot wait to read it!
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Hello Dan! Thanks for tagging me. My post is up. Come see, when you have a moment. http://msp31wannabe.blogspot.com/2008/03/odd-lesson.html
Blessings to you!
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It's my pleasure! I'm glad to see that you participated, and loved your post!
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Yo-Yo Loco... really? I never would have viewed yo-yo sales as an opportunity to mentor someone!
The point about pride is so important. Being a somewhat ambitious person, iIt's a question I wrestle with a lot. What is the difference between healthy pride and unhealthy pride? What is the difference between healthy and unhealthy humility?
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Yup... I wouldn't have viewed it as an opportunity to mentor either...
I also only had that position for a short time, but it is amazing how often I refer back to that time in my life. It really was a pretty powerful experience for me!
In response to your questions, I think that many of us struggle with that. To me, I think that the key to those is in our focus. If we have a self-centered focus, then we will probably manifest an unhealthy pride/humility. If we have a God-centered focus, then our pride is not founded in ourselves but in God, resulting in a healthy pride/humility.
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hey i want to do this sorry i waited so late. I need to find some bloggers that I can pass this on!
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No worries, looking forward to it...
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Good one, Dan! Isn't it funny how sometimes the most menial-seeming things can yield big lessons that stick? Hey, that has a rather Biblical "ring" to it, don't you think?
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Amen....
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