Work really grinds my gears.

I really dislike people that are of the mindset that a persons job should be held over their head and that they should be made to fear being fired. With the economy being what is was and what it is many companies are taking advantage of the desperate nature of individuals by placing sweatshop like policies on their employees.

I know that a business is a business and that it must function correctly with everyone doing their jobs, but I also realize that the most successful companies are those who value their employees and understand the idea of a "happy worker."

The idea is that if an employee is happy with their position and what they do, they will work harder, thus generating more profit for the company. On the flip side, if an employee is subject to doing a task that they do not like and are not treated well, they are less likely to complete the task at a fast rate, thus lowering the generation of income.

A lot of the productivity has to do with the higher level and lower level employee interaction. If situations always seem confrontational it causes a lot of unnecessary. pressure in the air. If an employee makes a statement about something they are finding particularly hard to deal with the response in which their superior or another employee gives makes a difference in how things will progress.

Scenario 1:

Employee: Sometimes I wish we could catch a break it seems like the work load is just so intense it would be nice to see that the rock that time we spend working on it seemed to be making a difference.

Supervisor: We'll if we didn't have work than you wouldn't have a job.


Scenario 2:

Employee: Sometimes I wish we could catch a break it seems like the work load is just so intense it would be nice to see that the rock that time we spend working on it seemed to be making a difference.

Supervisor: I know it looks like you're not accomplishing anything but you're really doing a good job and I appreciate your hard work.

In those scenarios which do you think would promote the person to work harder or just do what they need to do to keep their jobs. The bottom line is positive reinforcement generally works to the advantage of the employer. Human nature is to enjoy having egos fluffed. In the same manner that someone who has obtained a Doctorate loves when people call them "Dr." because they worked hard for what they have.

I guess my problem also lies within the idea that I enjoy that I get paid when I do work, but even more than that I am driven by recognition and the need to feel as the fruits of my labor are something that can make me gain not only in a monetary since but also in pride. The problem is, I work for a company that treats their employees fairly badly and they use negative reinforcement as something to make a person work just so they can continue to have a job.

The idea that the words "There are a bunch of other people that would love to have your job" was said in a speech that was supposed to promote productivity doesn't sit well with me. It makes me sad that some people actually think there is nothing better out there. It's like a really abusive relationship and my employers know this.

He is teaching me...

I remember I was driving with a CD I had created of some music, the windows were down and it was rather warm considering the weather we had been having. I was enjoying the warmth of the sun for one of the first times since before fall and winter began. All in all, it was a good day.

I’ve found that music is an outlet for musicians to purge their emotions out and if they’re heard sometimes someone can connect with what they’re saying.

I’ve always been found of Flyleaf songs for their meaning and content. Not to mention my addiction to the singers voice. Her voice has something that captivates me. The lyrics are always something I can relate to on some level and more recently I had discovered some songs I had not known about before.

The song opened and I wasn’t paying too much attention until I heard a specific phrase:

“He has every reason to throw up is fist in the face of his god who let his mother die, through all the prayers and tears she still passed in pain anyway…”

This hit me particularly hard because while it hit on a religious level it also hit on a level of loss, which is not always of a religious standpoint. So I listened a little bit more and it continued, “You think there’s no use in praying, but still he bows his head so he can say thank you for ending her pain…” at this point I was hooked, but I wanted to hear more. I could feel the bumps in my skin begin to rise as I listen to these lyrics. So I hit replay to hear the song all the way through.

This song hit me in a way that made me question my faith these days because often I am turned off by religious speeches and talks. While I have belief and I was born and raised Catholic, my religious views tend to be a little more toned down and to myself. Most people want to share their religion and preach it to the world but I on the other hand keep it to myself. It’s not that I think of it as something that needs to be a secret, but more something that is private and something I like to keep to myself. It’s like something good that I keep for me, like a memento or shared moment with a friend.

In essence I look at religion as something that I have for me and myself, to keep me moving. A reason this song particularly spoke to me was because of the lines “You think there’s no use in praying…” I’ve never really been one to pray and often when told to say prayers I shrug it off as something not necessary. My belief is that god knows what I am thinking and so my thoughts alone count as prayer without saying things like the “Hail Mary” or “Our Father.” The idea of an “organized” prayer turns me away. It’s also why I’m not found in church often when a mass is being said, but rather will go when there isn’t much going on in the church and I can be alone in my thoughts. So instinctively this son talks about the idea of prayer and doing it more often, but I needed to hear more, So I hit replay and listened to the song I was really able to feel/understand the song in a more complete way.

Supernatural – Flyleaf

Her headaches constant,
Increasing in pain with each passing day.
She can't even manage to stand on her own
It’s gotten so bad.

You think in saying there's no use in praying
But still she bows her head
So she can say thank you for just one more day.

Supernatural patience
Graces her face
And her voice never raises
All because, of a love, never let go of.
Never let go of...

He has every reason to throw up his fists
In the face of his God who let his mother die.
Through all the prayers and tears,
She still passed in pain anyway.

You think in saying there's no use in praying
But still he bows his head
So he can say thank you for ending her pain.

Supernatural patience
Graces his face
And his voice never raises
All because, of a love, never let go of.
Never let go of...
He is teaching me
What love really means.

Supernatural patience
Graces his face
And his voice never raises.
All because, of a love,
Never let go of.

Yes it's supernatural patience.
It graces his face
And his voice never raises.
All because, of a love,
Never let go of.
Never let go of...

He is teaching me
What love really means.

This song means more than religion; it’s also about the choice to see something good out of something bad. For the woman she speaks of she looks at her illness as a problem, but she also looks at each day as a gift and something to be proud of something to be thankful. While she suffers, as many of us do – she is also thankful that she can spend time here. She embraces life even though hers is crumbling before her. “Thank you for just one more day…” which made me realize that even in my trials and bumps along the road I have a lot to be thankful for and a lot that I take for granted, like “just one more day.”

And then the song goes into talk about the other person affected by the woman’s death. “He has every reason to throw up his fists in the face of his God who let his mother die…” more often than not I am quick to push the blame else where and in the instance of my grandmother and grandfather dying my anger was displaced and aimed towards god or a higher power. I would become angry arguing that pain and suffering should not be allowed. And then the song moves further into the man bowing his head and saying “thank you for ending her pain…” and it opened up something I was always conscious of but never really fully acknowledged, which is again the idea of two sides. In this instance the death, while sad brought an end to pain, which we can all be thankful. In some instances a death could mean life for another person (which is why I’m all for organ donating, but that’s an entirely different post for another time.)

Really, what this song taught me is “supernatural patience” it opened my eyes to the idea of my religion and being able to call on it for strength in hard times but also to realize that this isn’t the end and there is always something more. There are always two sides to the story and two ways to look at things.