Do people judge you according to your job? Or worse, do you negatively judge yourself based on what you do for a living? Do you hate going to work, or feel like it's just a job and it's nothing special? Perhaps it's worth a shift in your perspective.
It is human nature not to see our own worth. The Ego thrives on self-doubt because humans are imperfect. Generally, we are quick to find fault with ourselves, and often we are too quick to find it in others as well - although sometimes we do that in order to feel better about ourselves.
Sadly, we don't always recognise how special we are. We don't see our gifts to others, or what anyone else might value in us. How do you react when someone gives you a compliment? If you're like most people, you feel awkward, embarrassed, or uncomfortable. You squirm, not wanting to accept it, not quite knowing what to do with it, but there it is, lying there in front of you waiting for you to embrace it, believe it and just say "Thank you."
One area in which people can often struggle to see their worth is in their jobs. And this is encouraged by societal attitudes. We speak of minimum wage jobs with disdain and we revere doctors or other "professionals" and all because of the amount of money they earn. We look down on those who work at McDonald's - but if we're honest, a significant portion of the population would be horrified if everyone at McD's quit.
And by the way, being a doctor doesn't automatically mean a person is deserving of respect. I've been on the receiving end of reprehensible behaviour from cruel, nasty, arrogant - and even abusive people who were able to hide behind the label of "doctor" and who figured they were above reproach because of it.
If we define human worth and value by the amount of money a person earns, then we are truly lost for one has nothing to do with the other.
I know a lovely young woman called Emma who is a cab booking clerk in the UK. Although she likes her job, she underestimated the value that it can bring to the callers' lives. I said, "Your cheery attitude on your end of the phone can lift someone's spirits... You never know what they're going through or why they need a cab. Maybe someone just packed up and is sneaking away from an abusive spouse, worrying about getting caught - or afraid of being found. Perhaps someone is on the way to find out about test results - whether unwanted pregnancy or some horrible diagnosis. Maybe they're on the way to hospital to say goodbye to a beloved Nan, or parent - or child."
Emma's eyes were opened to a dimension of her job that she hadn't previously considered. It's always wonderful to find new meaning in some aspect of our lives and especially one that occupies so much of our time.
Hearing a friendly voice, especially when it is unexpected, can be the greatest gift in the world to the person who is in desperate need of it. Whether you are the McDonald's server or the check-out person at a supermarket or a delivery person or a doctor, every word that comes out of your mouth has the power to change a life. Whether you choose a positive or negative intention is up to you.
Do not define yourself by your job. And do not diminish the importance of your job for any reason because everyone of us plays an important part in how the world functions. So society looks down on loads of jobs. That doesn't make it right. What if everyone stopped doing them? We'd be in a sorry state if there was no one to clean offices, hospitals, hotels, or restaurants. Or if there was no one to answer the phone at any of the companies with which we do business. Or no one to serve us drinks or food. Or stock shelves or take payment - and the list goes on and on.
Whatever you do for work, it is important. It matters to those who receive the benefit of what you do. You and your job don't need to change; the attitudes of society do. We should be thanking those people who do the jobs that have most people looking down their superior noses.
Every job serves humanity in some way and what is more important than that?
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