by A. Elizabeth Brown

Created on: April 26, 2008

Job satisfaction...an oxymoron? As with nearly everything in life, your outlook on the job depends upon, well, your outlook. Meaning, everything in life is all about your reactions and how you choose to accept and handle your circumstances.

You have no control over what other people do or say, the computer systems they need to upgrade or just plain replace, how often that infernal phone rings and how many callers chew your ear like teriyaki jerky; but, you do have control over yourself.

To put it in perspective, here are a few thoughts to ponder:

1) Does the person on the phone even know you? If you work in customer service of any kind, the answer is most likely, no. Think about it, then...are they really yelling at you? Chances are, they're using you to vent and if you'll let them get it out and don't take all that venom personally, once they're through you can help them, and occasionally win their undying devotion. Key #1 - they're not really yelling at you, so don't let it get to you.

2) Why does that shmuck in the next desk get away with playing solitaire and surfing while I bust my backend, yet the boss still thinks he's great? You're right about this one...and it'll drive you crazy, if you let it. Key #2 (and it's one of the Golden Keys of working) - don't compare and compete. If you're focusing on what everyone else is doing, you're not performing your best either, are you? Determine for yourself to - everyday - strive for personal excellence, and forget about what everyone else is doing. Compete with yourself. Blow yourself away. That way, every single day you go home satisfied, and sometimes even, surprised and delighted. Will this necessarily get you that promotion? Maybe not, but if what you see in the mirror makes you proud, that's something you can live with.

3) This one's tough and requires entirely new brain-tracks - you're going to have to reteach yourself to think this way, but believe me, it'll change your life if you can manage it. Key #3: Lower your expectations of others. If your expectations of others are shoulder-high, everytime they screw up - which they will - you're going to get bent out of shape, get your blood pressure up, give yourself a raging headache...etc. Push your expectations down as far as you can bend...if you can reach your calves, good...if you can touch your toes, better. When your expectations are low, then everytime someone does even the most minor thing right, you're pleasantly surprised. When someone goes above and beyond,

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