A Joyous Perspective on 21st Century Miracles: When 'awesome' just won't cover it...

For tonight's Thought Tale Hour, I have the joy of sharing an update on this incredible story. The young person in the picture is a client from the story below. This week, we learned that he not only has completed 90 days of successful employment, but he will also be moved to full-time, with benefits. He is holding a particular cookie I saved for him signifying his love for his job. You don't always get to love what you do for a job, but this week, I can say that I certainly do. I hope you will enjoy reading this story again, and celebrate this 21st-century miracle with me.

At tonight's Friday Night Thought Tale Hour with the Henderson's, I've decided to share an incredible story I have been a part of over the past few weeks. It's one of those surprising moments when something that should just be a blip on your life screen becomes a mark. When you find yourself with eyes and mouth wide with a smile, letting out a little gasp, a few tears forming. And all you can think to say is "Awesome", but that just doesn't quite cover it.

When I stepped into the circumstances surrounding the story, I assumed it would be just another opportunity to assist a person with a few challenges in securing a job***. An ordinary day - as that's what I do as an Employment Specialist. This young man had been reassigned to me due to a change in staffing. Again, no big deal. Normal. But from the moment this young man stepped out of his house and looked at me, flashing an enormous and bright smile, I had a sense that something was about to happen. And wow, was my intuition right on.

Coincidence or fate? An age old question of philosophy. 

Before our first meeting, I was told that there had been an incident involving a severe injury to the brain. As he was already dealing with a slight intellectual disability, this only added to his burden. During our first conversation, I carefully asked him if he could tell me about the incident that caused his new challenges. A kid who had not been in trouble had just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. When his friends couldn't find a pulse, they assumed the worst. But he surprised them all and survived. After enduring several painful months with many uncomfortable moments of near death, he was finally released to go home. Since that time, he had been hoping and praying for the day that he could finally get back to work at his former job. So this was where I came in. I had an existing relationship with this employer, making it seemingly simple to get him rehired. I certainly didn't need anything miraculous to happen. Just go and check it out. Ahh. But that's where the story turned from an everyday life opportunity to a call to be at the right place, at the right time, with my mind open to let something special happen.  

When the 'easy button' isn't working.

You probably will recognize this feeling. Armed with all of your incredibly developed skill and personality, you go forth expecting to strike gold. And hey, if not, you'll just keep looking for the next promising claim. I call these my 'easy button' days when all I need is me, myself and I. I sauntered up to the first manager, who I assumed remembered this young man. Yes, he recalled him, really great kid, and knew he was looking to come back, but no, he did not see where he could use him. Maybe I should try the other manager? My heart sunk a little, but the old sales professional in me never stops at one 'rejection'. However, my next encounter was met with yet another 'no room at the Inn' response. At that moment, I felt something. I don't know if I would describe it as determination or just sheer conviction, but it prevented me from backing down. I recalled his words to me that day, "I....want....to....do....something....I....am....good at." He was good at this, right up until the day his life turned on a dime. 

Wait. Open your hands. Be ready.

There was a pregnant pause. You know, those moments when it's quiet, but a lot is happening behind the scenes. I looked up to see the first manager approaching, and the words just came out, "He remembers working with this kid. He says he was an amazing worker." And from there, it just came together. 60 seconds of negotiation and agreement ended in, "Well, I could find a place for him, but part time only. I'll talk to H.R." YES! I felt it right then. Something special just happened. I left there knowing I was now a part of a remarkable moment in this young man's life. It wasn't a sense of accomplishment as much as it was a feeling of honor.

There were more hoops to jump through, but the wheels were in motion, and it was time to take him in for his interview. "I...am...excited...and a...little nervous.", He said when I asked him how he was feeling. He had not been back there since the event, and he had changed. I wondered how he would be received. Would people be upset that he was hired to take hours that could be divided up among others? There had been turnover, so would he know anyone? 

And just when I thought the story couldn't get better - it did.

As we walked into the back entrance, we were immediately met with an older gentleman who works there that I recognized. The look on his face can only be described as pure elation. He yelled out the young man's name and held his arms wide. As they embraced, I could see out of the corner of my eye that another worker had gone into the main room to announce our arrival. Now remember, this is in the middle of a busy business hour, but that did not stop what happened next. Cheers and squeals erupted as a line of people formed to give out hugs and high fives to my client. My eyes found the hiring manager's gaze, and we both nodded our heads in affirmation. He just kept saying, "Awesome. Awesome. Wow." Talk about raising employee morale! The interview was a necessary formality, but it was regularly interrupted by yet another former co-worker coming in to express their happiness that he was 'coming back'. 

Yeah, 'awesome' didn't quite cover it. It was miraculous.

That is what sets apart something that is just really cool or impressive from something that is phenomenal or magical. It doesn't just touch the person it happens to; it touches everyone near it. 

Is it that we don't see these miracles every day, or do we just miss the chances we get to allow them to happen? 

If we can just get ourselves and our will out of the way more, perhaps we can play a part in more of them taking place. In moments of strength and self-assurance, we are not looking for the miraculous. We feel quite confident we can achieve on our own, and can be satisfied with the outcome. But like this young man, so many of the people I have the pleasure of working with deserve more. They deserve the miracle.

I am reminded of a favorite quote from the Bible, "But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me."2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV). I choose to see these miracles as being God's work through me, but you don't have to share this belief to bring this concept into your life's work. You can inspire, stretch and ignite the world you walk in by finding strength in times of weakness. I often see this through those I serve in a powerful way.

Putting an exclamation point on a great experience is important. (!)

Later in the day after completing the new hire

paperwork, I decided to drop by the hiring manager's office with a small token of appreciation. It was a large heart cookie with the word "Prost" (Cheers in German) written on the front. As I handed it to him, I said, "This is a small way to thank you for helping us change that young man's life." He blushed and insisted that I didn't have to do anything to thank him, as it was a great pleasure. "I know.", I said, "But I wanted to. Have a good night." As I walked away, he yelled, "Joy, you're awesome!" No, I thought to myself, smiling, just open to miracles.

Tonight, we'll be drinking some great Champagne, to celebrate a happy ending for a week and a happy beginning to a life. CHEERS, FRIENDS!

(For more information about Developmental Services Center of Champaign County, their services and how to get involved, click here DSC more)



***Names and some circumstances have been altered or omitted in tonight's blog to protect the privacy of those involved.

A Joyous Perspective on Passion for Your Work: Finding your greasy pole and climbing it.

Tonight at the Friday Night Thought Tale Hour with the Henderson's, I am going to follow up on a point I made in last week's post. I had more than one person comment to me regarding what I said about not being known as someone who 'hated my job.'  My admonition to make something you don't want to risk having the possibility of being said about you after death denoted a sense of urgency. But which comes first, the desire to do the job, or the need to do the job? There is often a chasm between working to live and living to get to do your work. There is a big difference between 'hating your job' and just feeling stale there. So here are some asides on finding a way to bring your passion into your work, and working on your passion. 

But first, you have to know what it is...

Benjamin Disraeli, former Prime Minister of Great Britain, said, “Man is only truly great when he acts from his passions.” So what happens if you put passion first and get happy first? Before you decide on a career or take a job or get into a relationship. Or move to a city or countryside. Disraeli suggests that you might just become great. Let's go to work on finding that thing that makes your heart beat a little faster. Ask yourself some these questions. Oh, and don't forget to suspend the need for financial gain for a moment or two.

1) What activities do you partake in that when you do them, you lose all sense of time? 

2) What do you want to do but are afraid to say out loud? Stop reading and say it, right now.

What was your childhood passion?

If you have no idea, remember what you loved doing as a kid. What were your favorite toys and games? What did you run off to do any chance you got? 

It's important to remember that passion is not always strong and powerful. It can be calm and profound. Don’t worry about having motivation for now. Once you feel the passion for something, the motivation comes with little effort.

So now that you know what it is, How do you begin acting from your passions?

I didn't have it long, but I too poured myself into a miserable job. It wasn't long after a tragic time in my life, and I believed it was time to "get back to work." At a young age, I was told, “Without hard work nothing grows but weeds.” I wanted to write, but I felt I needed to bring in more income while I worked on that area. I jumped at the first opportunity, and it wasn't long before I realized I had landed in a puddle of a deep mire.

I knew that I had to get out, that I had to find something more meaningful, something where I could make a difference. A dear friend of mine described me as a 'champion for the right cause'. But getting out of the job I had taken was going to be hard. Hard. And I could see a big cut in pay coming my way.

If you have to be in the mire, make it fun.

Perhaps you’re in a similar situation and wondering how you can continue going to a place of employment you hate. Day, after day after day....Not knowing when or if you’ll be able to do something more meaningful. Does it mean you quit without having an alternative? Of course not.

Accept how hard your work and life are and must be for now.

Know that sometimes life is hard. And work is hard. Responsibilities are hard. Life events and tragedies bring us down out of happiness and passion. It is necessary to have this experience so you can see the contrast of living from passion first to living from the hard work.

“Instead of complaining that the rosebush is full of thorns, be

happy that the thorn bush has roses.” ~German Proverb

Build meaning, however, you can.

While it may be easier for you to create meaning in some careers than others, you can always create meaning right where you are. Find the one or two things that you like about you current job situation and focus your time and energy on those.

Connect your job to other values.

If you can’t find anything meaningful about your current job, then try connecting your job to other values.

For example, if you value providing financial support to your family, then focus on how your current job allows you to fill that value. Put up photos wherever you can of your family and periodically look at those pictures and remind yourself how important it is for you to support them.

Or perhaps your job provides you with ample time off to pursue other activities that you value. Again, focus on how lucky you are to have a job that gives you that opportunity.

Focus on other parts of your life.

Finally, if nothing else works, you can always focus your energy on other parts of your life. Just accept that it will take some time to move to a more meaningful career. And that for now, your work won’t be a primary source of meaning in your life. On a personal note, I did start a regular practice of writing these 'thought tales' during my tenure at the mire pit I mentioned above. That along with some great people I met there got me through many difficult days.

But never give up the search for 

your greasy pole!

On finally achieving his long ambition, to become Britain’s Prime Minister, Disraeli declared, “I have climbed to the top of the greasy pole.” 

Don't you just love that symbolism? Fervent desire, unyielding ambition, and never letting go of the calling. Hard work meets passion.

Find your greasy pole, the one you are more than willing to scale, using passion as your inspiration and motivation to hang on until you reach that place of working at your passion. For whenever something great was accomplished in the world, it was done with passion, fortified by hard work. Remember, when you have passion about something you are more willing to take risks. Everyone can decide to work hard, but passion means something different to each person. 

Follow yours.

So tonight, we are toasting to those passions that drive our lives and our work. I found a Pinot Noir called "Cloud Nine" I thought the name was appropriate because getting to the top of that pole, feels just like being on that wonderful cloud, every day. CHEERS, FRIENDS! (and GO CARDS!)



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