While it may not always seem possible, you can be your own boss. In many cases someone else signs the check you cash to live on but you can be your own boss of your emotions and your perceptions.
The environment doesn’t create you; rather you are created within your environment. In the same situation you can see some people who are happy, healthy and wise, while others are sad, poor and dim-witted.
One of life’s great truths is that wherever you go in this wonderful world, you will always have your own company. There is no other option.
Wherever you go, there you are.
In any country, neighborhood or organization where you happen to be, you will always be with yourself. While you have colleagues, friends and family who accompany you, in the end, you are always with your own thoughts. Some people act as if they were their own boss, others as employees. I propose you can always be your own boss.
Suppose you are hired to deliver pizza. The job description isn’t long and is really quite simple. Nevertheless, there are many ways you can deliver pizza. Thinking like an employee, you grab the pizza, find the address, deliver the pizza, receive the money and return.
As your own boss, the end result is the same but the manner very different. As your own boss, you put napkins, eating utensils, Parmesan cheese and chili peppers in a separate bag. When you leave from the restaurant, you see a paper on the ground, bend down to pick it up and throw it in the trash. You make sure your vehicle is clean and in tip top condition. You do everything with courtesy and respect because you knows you represent the company and besides, you are your own boss.
When you get to the door, you arrive with a big smile and ask if they would like napkins, eating utensils, Parmesan cheese and chili peppers. You are cordial and expect a good tip. If you don’t get a tip, you thank them anyway because you know it might be different the next time and above all because you are your own boss.
While it may be a company which employs you, you are the one who makes your own way. The more proactive you are, the more opportunities you will have. If you must be brow beaten to do what is simply a part of your job description, you will eventually become expendable when there is economic turbulence. When you go beyond what is strictly necessary, you become an important ally in difficult circumstance.
When you are part of the solution instead of part of the problem, you are be your own boss. Those who start companies and organizations are not those who complain by saying, “What a shame we are living in such trying times,” rather they are those who say, “We have a challenging goal which when resolved will give us a positive boost!”
You can’t always love what you do but you can always give love to what you do. You see it everywhere. One person complies with the bare essentials while another goes above and beyond by adding a smile and sincere thanks. One person takes your money and throws the change on the counter shouting, “Next!” while another takes your money, places the change in your hand while looking at you and saying, “Thank you for your purchase, I hope to see you again soon!”
When you do an excellent job while giving optimum service, eventually you will have the opportunity to own your own business or to run your own organization. When you start by be your own boss today, you pave your own path, direct your own destiny and create your own happiness.
∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL III 14