5 Happy Lessons from Unhappy Corporate America

Do you believe America needs enthusiastic, passionate, driven young adults? That corporate America patiently waits for brazen new graduates to enter the work force; young adults are welcomed into working class society with open arms; the “real world” is everything you dreamed about as a child? In four short years, I found myself believing that everything I wanted and needed from working adults and the workplace didn’t exist. I felt overwhelmed, burned out, and started dreaming daily about pumping my life into reverse as fast as possible and driving back to Orono, ME to dance on the Ushia dance floor with my college roommates….life was much more fun and simple back then.

I started changing my thinking and believing that I had to accept status quo, I had to accept statements like: “welcome to corporate America, Kelley,” I had to wait 20 years to “earn my keep” in business before my ideas, thoughts, work, or ambitions would be recognized. Then, one day, I woke up and realized that I was doing what I promised I would NEVER do: I was becoming “one of them.”

My epiphany arrived in perfect time, in four short years I learned:

My personal values supersede my company’s values, always: what are you top three values in your life? Mine are: God, my family, and my health. Does your job rob you of your own values? One year out of college, I was working 12 hour shift (more like 14 hour shifts), I came home angry, stressed, and defeated every single day, I realized: “I lost my values because I let my job rob them from me.” So, I left my job to peruse a career that allowed me to put my values back into the forefront of my life.

You CAN work within your passion: I am passionate about wellness; however, I quickly learned that many people do not “do what they love.” corporate America does not understand the value and potential that exists from working within your passion. How do I know this? Because I cannot tell you how many people have mocked me, scorned me, or judged me because I am a nurse who “isn’t really a nurse” because I do not work in a job that society perceives acceptable for a nurse. If corporate Americans followed their passions, they would NEVER judge someone for doing the same.

I am not just a nurse I AM AN AMAZING NURSE! Why? Because every day I know that I am doing the job that I was put on earth to do. I believe in what I do, and I know my wellness clients can see and feel my energy.

Happiness is defined by MY choices: When I graduated college I followed the next steps in life: bought a house, got married, bought a bunch of stuff, admired my robust pay check; however, as I was laying awake at night worrying about paying my mortgage, home repairs, school debts, and dreading going to work the next morning, I realized I wasn’t happy. When I started choosing where, when, and HOW I spend my money, freeing myself from debt, following my passions in life, and starting every single morning thanking God for EVERYTHING I have- even the smallest, simplest things, I suddenly became the happiest person alive.

In three weeks, James and I are moving out of our apartment with nothing but our clothes, our two beautiful kitties, our energetic (and slight psychotic) dog, and each other, and I cannot think of anything in life that I need other than that…..now, that is happiness.

Your potential isn’t defined by your title: Silly corporate Americans really have it alllll wrong. They believe that only people who earned high, fancy, and elite titles have creative, intelligent, and capable minds. They don’t think to give the little guy a chance; after all, what the heck does he know!? I am frustrated with these twisted beliefs; however, one day I realized that I was letting the beliefs consume MY potential. Then, I realized that EVERY DAY I had an amazing opportunity to use my strengths and talents, I just had to choose to follow through. I started committing my heart and energy to those who really needed and wanted my strengths. You might think, “who wants your strengths if managers and leaders don’t?” Maybe it’s the women at the front desk who I decided to greet each and every morning? Maybe it’s the janitor, at my company, his name is Steven, he is sooo sweet and nice and he cleans our bathrooms like you wouldn’t even believe! I wonder how many people in a day tell him that he does a good job? Maybe all he needs is someone to say: “HEY STEVEN, THANK YOU!” Maybe that someone is me. Maybe it’s the people you serve, for me, it is my wellness clients. Every day I learn and grow from them, and every day they remind me in simple ways that my potential in this world has nothing to do with my title.

It’s NOT all about the money: When asked, “why do you work here?” I have heard about a 100 people respond to this question. I will list a few common responses: “To pay for my kid’s college. To pay the BILLS. To pay the mortgage. To get a paycheck.” I have NEVER, EVER, EVER, heard someone respond, “Because I LOVE XYZ!!” You know what? From this point forward, when someone asks me why I work somewhere, I want my response to be: “BECAUSE I LOVE MY JOB!” I believe that when you love what you do, everything will follow: money, happiness, energy, greatness…everything.

For a couple of minutes I thought that corporate America beat me, but then I got my act together. I believed in myself, I made plans, I made choices, and I put my life and my happiness back to where it belongs: in MY hands!