A Boring Job and a Positive Attitude

By Anna Trishch

“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them.”—Jack Canfield

“What a boring job to have!” That’s what I was thinking while standing in line at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, looking at an immigration officer while he was going through applications. I was anxiously awaiting my fingerprints appointment, and I said to myself: “The same applications, the same responses, the same questions, just different people—pretty monotonous. I wouldn’t be happy at all if I had that job.”

As my turn approached, the officer said a nice hello and took my documents. Then he looked up and said, “Hm, Ukraine…”

I replied, “Yes, I come from Ukraine, and I am looking forward to becoming a U.S. citizen!”

The officer looked at me, smiled and said, “Net!” (It means “no” in Russian/Ukrainian.)

I said, “Excuse me?!” I started panicking, thinking there was some problem with my paperwork.

But the next second, the officer put a stamp and signed my notice letter saying, “I know a little bit of Russian. Da, Net, Spasibo, Krasivaia.” (These words mean yes, no, thank you, beautiful.) He had been to Russia and Ukraine several times, when it was still the U.S.S.R. (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and then later when the Soviet Union collapsed. I was amazed at the level of knowledge this man possessed. He even knew when Ukraine gained its independence! Overall, I had a nice impression from our brief communication. There was a positive energy around the officer, and he was in a lighthearted, happy mood.

I realized his job didn’t seem boring because he was connecting with people and he enjoyed the encounters.

I thanked him for his assistance and walked off to the next station to get my fingerprints taken. As I sat on a chair waiting for my name to be called, another officer looked at me and yelled, “NEXT!!!”

I walked toward the designated cubicle, where a woman sat. I smiled and said, “Hi, how are you doing today?” She gave me a cold hello and took my documents. Not a word as she was going through the paperwork.

“Left hand, please,” she said, and quickly took the fingerprints of my left hand. Then she silently proceeded to the right hand. “All done,” were her last words to me.

As I walked away, I contemplated the drastic difference between the two officers who assisted me. The same job—but very different approaches to handling the same responsibilities. In the first case, the tedious routine looked fun. In the second case, it was really boring. What made the difference? Attitude! It’s not about the job; it is about what you make out of it. It is about you, your personality and your energy that make your job a pleasure or a monotonous routine.

It is your attitude, not your position or pay that truly defines your job satisfaction.

Think about the attitude you bring to life and your work. Is it positive? Is it filled with gratitude? Life brings to you what you bring to life. If you want to experience more love, respect and joy—you must embody more of these qualities within.

Ultimately, life doesn’t have any meaning except the meaning you bring to it. Some people say, “Life is a box of chocolates,” while others say, “Life is an ongoing struggle.” Dig deep within, and you will know that it is not your circumstances that define you. It is you who define your circumstances.

One of my favorite quotes about life mastery and spiritual awakening is by Victor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist who survived the Holocaust and its concentration camps:

“Between a stimulus and a response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

This is a powerful statement that we can apply in our everyday life situations, as well as life-defining moments. Your positive attitude will bring more affirmative outcomes to your life: more satisfaction, more fulfillment and more happiness.

How can you do it?

How about starting small and growing?

Do the following exercise. Wake up each morning with a feeling of gratitude. Don’t drag your problems from yesterday into today. What’s wrong in life is always available, so is what’s right. Choose your focus deliberately. Then say thank you for all the blessings that you have, and you have many.

“The more you celebrate your life, the more there is to celebrate in your life.”
—Oprah Winfrey

Anna Trishch is a lover of life, an author, a life coach and a public speaker. Coming from a very modest background in a small Ukrainian town, she faced many challenges and financial hardships as a child and teenager. Although Anna’s parents were loving and caring, they came from a victimhood mentality that did not resonate with her soul. A believer that we are the creators of our own life, Anna went on to study at Ostroh Academy, one of the best Ukrainian universities. Today, she speaks four languages and lives her dream life in Miami. She helps people to discover the universal truth about human greatness and unlimited human potential; it is never about resources, but always about resourcefulness. Visit her online at www.annatrishch.com, email annatrishch1@gmail.com or call 786-768-4130.

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