Thoughts.com Blogs - What REALLY Matters

Yesterday, I wrote a whiny-assed post about my job. Since then, it has occurred to me that rather than just venting my frustration in a blog, I should DO something about it. It's not like me to avoid problems. I'm a fixer, not a weenie.

I guess I just wanted His Poohbahness to be the one to acknowledge my contributions, rather than ME having to be the one to point them out. I have never been a tooter of my own horn. But enough, Pooh. The time has come!

Why the change of heart? Many reasons really, but the main one is that I've been doing a lot of thinking about what really matters in my life. Do I want to be a toxic work person, spewing disgruntlement in all it's contagion? Never! We all know people who are like this. Always pissing and moaning about everything. Never happy unless they have something or someone to crap on. They cast their black cloud over everyone. I abhor people who are like this. Worse, I pity them.

I spent last evening with my best friend (she of the sunburn fame). She fed me dinner and wine and let me rant about my job. She didn't judge, or even offer up any words of advice. Such is our relationship that she knows if she waits, eventually my little lightbulb will come on all by itself. And it did. But not until I'd had a chance to sleep on it.

After we'd eaten and polished off a bottle of vino, we decided to scare ourselves silly by watching a horror movie. We share a love of horror movies - the adrenalin rushes, the racing heart-beat, and the "eewww" factor. Her son had rented "30 Days of Night" so we slapped it in the machine, turned out the lights, and curled up on the couch with our blankies. Well! "30 Days of Night" is sooooo bad that we literally howled all the way through it! By way of a "review," the plot varies between choppy and non-existent, the characters are, well, "silly" is the word that springs to mind. But that's all irrelevant. What IS relevant is that I spent yet another awesome evening with my best buddy, laughing my ass off and enjoying myself immensely! THAT is what matters! Not some cheap-ass doofus who can get away with not paying me what I'm worth just because I love what I'm doing.

This epiphany led me to assess the other things in my life that actually MATTER:

1. My family

2. My friends

3. My well-being and the well-being of bunch 1. and bunch 2.

4. My paycheque? HAH! NOT!!!

I was tempted to elaborate on my good fortune regarding numbers 1 to 3, but if you are lucky enough to have these things too, you will understand what I mean.

Oh sure, life has its ups and downs. It would be a major yawnfest otherwise.

I'm a little embarrassed that I revealed my temporary weeniness in my previous post, but it has served its purpose - I'm awake now and I'm ready to square off against Pooh. I will not be whining about why I want a raise. I will be pointing out his gross oversight at letting two years go by without acknowledging my worth!

(wish me luck!)