Yesterday I answered phones for a contest we are running at work: Smartphone Fridays. I have to admit that what I do for a living feels like play most of the time anyway, but yesterday I had even more fun than usual. We had a bank of phones set up in a large training room, and when the phone rang, I snatched it up and enthusiastically welcomed the caller to the Prize Line. Giving away prizes in incredibly rewarding!
Our prize line opened at 9 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m.. One of my teammates commented that one of our other co-workers and I were just as excited at 7 p.m. (in spite of our fatigue) as we were when we began the day. And we were. Why? We were having fun. We were filled with joy.
I've already admitted that my work feels more like play. I would say that passion and joy characterize my attitude toward what I do every day. Interestingly, in the company I work for, the words "focus" and "intensity" are often used to describe the qualities desired. There may be times when you're doing something difficult or unpleasant when focus and intensity are the only things that will carry you through. There's a little something negative when you combine those two words in the context of work over the long haul, however. What I picture (and often see in various work groups) are grim faced people striving every day just to get through the day.
Passion and joy take you further - help you to not only do a task or job with excellence, but ensure that at the end of the day you're just as excited as you were at the beginning of it. I don't know about you, but that's how I want to live and work and love.
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