Got Values??  

Posted

If I'm not careful this blog is going to turn into a rant journal. I can not for the life of me understand some of the things I see on a regular basis. People don't care in general it seems. I know there are some good people in this world. I have met them and I deal with some on a very regular basis. They are fast becoming the exception instead of the rule.

Is money the true driving force now? I like to have a little myself, but I'm not gonna sell my soul to get it. Hard work used to be the answer to it. You worked hard and kept your nose to the grindstone as the saying goes. Do your job and then a little more. People will take notice if you are producing every day. That's not so true anymore. There are more and more leeches coming out of the woodwork. People that simply wait for someone else to do the footwork and then come in and take the credit. I see it on a regular basis. Great example here....A man works in the shop. He's a welder and general maintenance. He has come up with a much faster and efficient way to cut apart some material that needs to be disposed of. His supervisor approves his plan so the guy happily gets to work doing it his way and he indeed cut down on the time it took, as well as the expense of doing the job. Guess who got the praise? It wasn't the guy that came up with the idea. He was merely the tool that got the job done. They couldn't for one minute believe that he was smart enough to come up with the idea. His boss didn't have the integrity to admit that his worker did indeed not only come up with the idea, but implement it, and all with the help of nobody but himself and his own wits. Long story short, the supervisor got a nice little bonus check, and the worker got a pat on the back for doing the job. Two months later he left the company. He told them directly that he couldn't work for a company that thought so little of him as to believe him not intelligent enough to come up with that concept. It ate away at this guy. I don't blame him for a minute. The supervisor is still there and he is a bit hard pressed to get that job done now. They are finding out that sometimes there really are diamonds in the rough.

The point is that too many people want recognition and reward without putting in the work that is required to get those things. Instant gratification is a sad, repulsive thing. It offers nothing in the way of positive growth. Things come easy and you don't have a chance to appreciate what it takes to succeed. I promise that it won't always come easy, so the sooner you can learn perseverance, patience, and dammit integrity, the sooner you are that much closer to being a good person.

Money be damned. We don't have a lot of time here. Instead of spending it all chasing a buck, maybe we should take a step back and see where we live. Enjoy it for what it is. I think they call it living in the moment. Try it sometimes, it's a great feeling. I understand that we have to think of the future and that's ok, but that doesn't mean we should plan our futures by stepping on the shoulders of those that are working so diligently to provide for their own future.

The recipe for success hasn't changed, we have. It still takes the same core values that it always has to make a person successful. I see a ton of people with a lot of money and they are miserable. That should be setting off a couple of bells in our heads somewhere. Money is a tool like any other. It's used to give us comfort and security, but it's not the end all to the world. Money and no happiness is pointless, but on the other hand happiness and no money is not all so bad. I have spent plenty of years without and was nonetheless happy, because I realized what really matters.

Sometimes little things set me off, and this was one of those times. I don't like to see people getting pushed around and left on the sidelines because somebody doesn't want to recognize their contribution, or worse because somebody wants to steal their accomplishment.

At the end of the day, we don't really have much. We have to be able to look in the mirror and decide if we did right or wrong. We can make our excuses for our actions, but deep down it will always be there. Good or bad is relative I suppose, but I know that when I get home and sit down, I can say that I tried. I didn't do it at the expense of somebody either.

Values.... Got some?

This entry was posted at Monday, March 15, 2010 . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .

18 comments

Anonymous  

I agree whole heartedly. I am also of the mindset that praise is not mandatory,it is nice to be sure but one can not count on it. I find jpy in my accoplishments whether others recognize it or not. We do live in an instant gratification age. If you need anything anymore your phone can do it, can find it, can make it happen. With this incredible technology comes a certain price and a responsibility. Great post, rant on!

March 15, 2010 at 10:52 AM
Rae  

Well said. This was an exceptional post. Your words are so true. I have seen the little guy short changed many times and it wasn't right. Some people have no integrity and there is little chance they will develop it later in life. Sadly society in general has lost its sense of values.

March 15, 2010 at 11:38 AM
Desertson  

Couldn't agree with you more. It seems that everyone is mad after the almighty dollar and they don't give a damn who they knock down and trample on the way. I know there are still some good honest people out there but it seems like they are disappearing fast. A wise man once said, "An honest man, is a rare soul."

March 15, 2010 at 11:47 AM
Tina  

I admire integrity, Bendigo and I think kindness is so terribly important.

March 15, 2010 at 12:12 PM
Ms. A  

Great post! I couldn't agree more.

March 15, 2010 at 1:34 PM
Me  

Doing what the guy did? I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror and my conscience would kill me slowly over time. I understand how you feel about people taking credit for someone else's work and I, too, find it horripilating! But I (like to) believe that someday, it's going to slam him back in the face!!

March 15, 2010 at 4:45 PM
Me  

Oh, and did I mention: 'Rant all you want'?? I love reading these!!

March 15, 2010 at 4:46 PM
Jana  

This post has come at just the right time. Aren't all of us tired of seeing the exact same thing happening everywhere we go.

I really feel mad too when I see someone being pushed around.

March 15, 2010 at 9:47 PM
Lauren  

Hear, hear. If I get exceptional service from someone somewhere I always try to call or email their managers with a good report for that very reason...too many times people at the bottom (or even in the middle) of the ladder don't get the recognition they deserve for doing a good job. I also report people for lousy service. I like to think what goes around comes around, and I'm happy to do my part to help it come around a little faster. Great post, Bendigo! :)

March 15, 2010 at 10:35 PM
Jerry  

You are so right sir! I agree and it is sad what has become of the world. I can only hope things turn around with the job market the way it is and people realize the good ones are being used and the stupid ones are put in power they shouldn't have.

March 16, 2010 at 12:52 AM
Bendigo  

You would think that with the job market the way it is that the "company" would pick and choose a little more carefully. Unfortunately it seems to be business as usual..and usual sucks...Time for some of these guys to get back to basics and learn some work ethic.. :(

March 16, 2010 at 5:16 AM
Ally  

Great post! I'm with you!

March 16, 2010 at 2:35 PM
California Keys  

It's the game of politics. My sister worked at a company where she was afraid to tell anyone her ideas to make things perform faster and cheaper, because her boss was always taking other employee's ideas and claiming them as his own....

I do a lot of inspections on low income properties, and I'm always giving praise to the maintenance guys on the property.... They work their tail off and they make $9.00 an hour. I always tell their managers that it's hard to find good help....

I Think It's Interesting

March 17, 2010 at 3:09 AM
Kitty Moore  

I too have had money - but I have been living on very tight budget for a long time now but it seems irrelevant. The health and happiness of my loved ones are the most important things in my life - everything else is a bonus. x

March 17, 2010 at 9:37 AM
Powdered Toast Man  

Great post! My sister and brother are like this, they want an award everytime they do something. I just do what I have to do and that's it. If I get recognition, that's cool but that is not why I did the job/chore.

I don't have any money and I'm pretty happy.

March 18, 2010 at 2:00 AM
Bendigo  

I can't say it enough...If I do a good job that is all the reward I need. If my family is safe and happy then life is good :)

March 18, 2010 at 10:44 AM
Pandorah's Box  

Bendigo, you are truly an inspiring and prolific writer. I could not have said any of this better myself. I was that welder at one time. Unfortunately I still work for that company and I am very unhappy. I am slowly learning that the money is not what is important; its my own happiness.

Thank you for writing this and inspiring me to walk further down my path of happiness.

xoxoxo

March 18, 2010 at 9:49 PM
Bendigo  

Kato....thank you..I write better when it's something closer to my heart.. I'm glad you are getting to the point of telling them to stick it...I hope you do what makes you happy. That company will suffer for not treating you right when they are scrambling to replace you...

March 19, 2010 at 10:36 AM

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