Yesterday I made a discovery that surprised me. I was rummaging through filing cabinets in the in the upstairs attic and saw a file entitled Random Thoughts. The thing I found most surprising is that the file contained thoughts that I had written down dated 2001 – 2009.
Curious, I took the time to hurriedly read through the file. Scanning the file substantiated for me that I am a creature of habit. In 2009 I wrote about participating in a question-and-answer session where an applicant was invited back for a second interview. He was applying for the position of comptroller where I worked.
I was not involved in the selection process but invited to be present for the second interview. Based on the introductory comments made by the hiring manager to those of us who had not met him, the applicant appeared very capable and highly qualified. Interestingly, the introductory comments by the hiring manger took longer than I expected the entire interview with the applicant would take.
Finally, we were permitted to ask questions. I raised my hand and said I only had two questions to ask:
- Is the glass half empty or is the glass half full?
- How important is it to. You in your work environment to have a sense of humor?
Those may be strange questions for a job interview, but the answers told me all I needed to know related to relationship issues and my perception of what matters most in a work environment. I liked his answers to both questions and consequently had no reservations related to providing him a vote of confidence.
Have you ever stopped to do an inventory of the numbers of people you meet that consistently see the glass as half empty? Perhaps for any number of reasons, it is not a cultural norm in our country to live with a thankful heart. God gives us a freedom of choice and there are too few people who choose to embrace life with a sense of gratitude.
John D. Rockefeller was once asked, "How much does it take to satisfy a man?" His response was probably without the dispute. He said: "A little bit more than he has." If the passion of our life is to own the land that touches ours, we'll never be content with what we have.
The glass is half empty syndrome never lacks for a venue to express dissatisfaction. Most people complain about every stress factor they experience in life. I was saw a sign in a convenience store that put a smile on my face. The sign read: "If stress burned calories, I would be a size 5."
Have you ever stopped to inventory the things you complain about? We complain about the weather, traffic, the economy, the stock market, the government, the court system, family members, our health, our work, our lack of time to play, the tax rate and appraised value of our homes and any everyday occurrence that intersects our lives leaving us wanting more or something different.
In contrast, the 100th Psalm expresses a different approach: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."
All My Best!
Don
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