Message of the Day - An Ego Caused Train Wreck

Good Morning,

 

Every now and then as I start waking up in the morning, I spend some time reflecting on my life and how I got to where I am now. This past Sunday morning I thought about a time when I started back in college in 2003 at the University of Phoenix, Rockville, MD campus. I had originally set up the schedule to have college classes on Monday, my day off, as I worked Tuesday through Saturday. I started college about a month after starting work (this was after 5 months of unemployment). The second class in the curriculum was basic computer information and use.

 

Having worked in technical support for many years I felt I would not learn much from it so I looked to change courses. I allowed my ego of my experience to get in the way of just rolling up my sleeves and getting my degree. Since I could not get the course waved from my curriculum I ended up having to take a course on another day where I did work and would have to leave early that day. Prior to taking this class, I confirmed with my manager if it was okay, and she approved.

 

The job I worked at, which lasted a whole 94 days was a very difficult job for me. I was ultimately let go from the job during the fourth week of the class (classes last 5 weeks). The new manager I reported did not seem to approve of me leaving early for class and so it became extremely stressful on class days to leave on time to make it to class. Generally I was 10 – 15 minutes late every day. The class was employment law and the irony of my treatment at this job versus what I was learning in class only added to my frustration.

 

Had I humbled myself and taken the computer class, which I eventually did here in Louisville a year later, I may not have had the difficult and overly stressful times I did. I know I would not have lasted at that job, the concept of ‘Wrong Fit’ could not be better defined than my time at this company.

 

How often do we let our ego’s get in the way of doing what is right?

 

Is it always so important to be right, to have our experience and accomplishments lit up on a billboard and recognized by all who purvey them?  Didn’t Harry S. Truman once say: "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."

 

Our ego can be a benefit to us, used only in small, controlled doses, but left to its own devices; it will often line us up for a train wreck of circumstances in our lives.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://www.berenberg.net 

http://learnandgrowdaily.com ß-Cick here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"
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