My Deep Gladness

Yesterday was my last day at a job that has been both joyful and excruciating at the same time.

A lot of prayer went into both taking this job at a copy store and doing my part there. I've learned a lot about myself. And discovered more about the nature of "my deep gladness." It turns out it's simply helping people. It's saying yes, and then figuring out how to get it done. And as I have gotten better at focusing on what really turns me on, I find that I have done my job better and better, even as the workplace continued to be frustrating.

A few examples that proved I was doing my job well include often receiving very generous tips from more-than-satisfied customers - in a field where tips are not the norm. Recently, in one day, three different customers called me "an angel." Seriously! One even asked what my favorite perfume was, and encouraged her grandson to write a school paper about "the angel we met at the copy store" after I pieced back together his seawater-soaked homework after a morning of playing hooky at the beach with grandma.

Last night my fellow employees gave me a great going away party. A cake, a card lovingly signed by everyone, lots of laughing and joking. Lots of hugs. One of our assistant managers wrote a note to me saying, "Thank you so much for all you have taught me. The store has lost one of its best assets. You will be sorely missed." That "asset" is the way I've been expressing the divine quality of Love.

One thing I "taught" him, although I'm not a manager, was that I make it a habit to thank my fellow employees for their good work at the end of each day. Our company never taught him, an assistant manager, to do that. But now he does that more often. He sees that it helps make the employees feel their work is valuable, and is being valued by their employer.

I think I'm on the right track. As I invest thought in my gladness, I'm not being selfish. I think my gladness comes as part of my identity as an expression of divine Love. Denying or belittling the value of it would be denying my own identity. But if my identity is one of countless expressions of the Creator, then denying or belittling myself and "my deep gladness" is like putting down God - and that is not a happy thing to do. In fact, it's probably the source of much unhappiness.

As I accept the value of my gladness, my ability to love (simple as that concept is), the more valuable I become to other individuals in the workplace. I'm looking forward to finding out how I will be of service come this Monday at my new job. One thing is for sure, I will be pursuing "my deep gladness" there too.