Twenty-five years ago, we hired a new comptroller where I worked. I was not actually involved in the selection process, but because I was part of the management team, I did get to participate in a meet and greet question and answer session when he came back for a second interview. Based on the introductory comments concerning the applicant that were made by the hiring manager to those of us who had not met him, the applicant appeared very capable and highly qualified.
I only had two questions:
- Is the glass half empty or is the glass half full?
- How important is it to you in your work setting 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 responses to both questions and 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 on a regular basis 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 who choose to embrace life with a sense of gratitude.
It is difficult to be thankful if you look around and find yourself wanting more. John D. Rockefeller once was asked, "How much does it take to satisfy a man?" With rare wisdom he answered, "A little bit more than he has." If the passion in our life is to only own the land that touches ours, we'll never be content with what we have.
We are constantly exposed by the advertising media to the concepts of bigger, better, new, improved, faster, sleeker…Doesn't the list just go on and on? Even concepts like "energy efficient" leave us dissatisfied with those elements in our home or driveways that don't fall into that category.
The "glass is half-empty syndrome" never lacks for a venue to express dissatisfaction. Many people complain about every stress factor they experience in life. I once saw a sign in that made me smile. It read: "If stress burned calories, I'd be a size 5." I thought the sign was clever.
Seriously, at times aren't we tempted to complain about the weather, traffic, the economy, the stock market, big government, the court system, family members, our health, our work, out lack of time to play, the pastor's sermon, the tax rate and appraised value of our homes along with any everyday occurrence that intersects our lives leaving us wanting more or something different.
That serves as a basic contrast to the wisdom of the Psalmist: "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. [Psalm 100]
All My Best!
Don
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