Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold the word of life.

Philippians 2:14-16

Every first day of work, we get nervous and excited. We wake up early to prepare ourselves, we go to work on time, and we always show how eager and happy we are to learn and be part of the team. The first day of work is always the best. We get to appreciate ourselves even more as we do things efficiently and effectively.

Work is what gives us the purpose to appreciate life more. It molds us to be the best version of ourselves and also to stay optimistic amidst the challenges in life. We may love our work and still get the same feeling we had the first time. However, challenges may arise at some point. Challenges that may empty our workplaces of joy and turn them into a grind. A workplace where we may feel the weight of unrealistic expectations on our job, where we may feel trapped in an uninspiring job that makes little use of our gifts and offers no plan for promotion, and where we may also work in a culture where people are negative and demotivated.

Most people say that there is no such word as a perfect workplace since we do not have the same values and beliefs. My work ethic may be different from yours or vice versa which can lead to conflicts between us. I think some of us can agree with this. I do love my previous job, that is what I want to experience ever since. However, it ended so soon because I have conflicts with my colleague and she thinks highly of herself. At first, I thought everything will be fine after I raised the concern to our management however as days and months passed by, it is getting worst. I was not given any schedule, they prioritize seniority in the workplace and after a month, they decided not to give me any schedules. I ended my job with a phone call from them. I felt bad at first, but I have nothing to do. For me, that company has unethical leadership and a toxic workplace culture where the management promoted a culture that beat down the most productive among them and allow the whiners to prevail. Despite the experience I had in that workplace, I am still thankful because that experience made me stronger. I also think that it was a blessing in disguise since I was able to get a better job after.

In conclusion, the challenges in our workplace are with us to stay. It does not mean that we should do all we can to mitigate those challenges when it’s within our power, yes we should confront unproductive attitudes and work ethics where we find them, sometimes we may be forced to find a different job. Always remember this: While you may not always be able to work in your sweet spot, you can always work at making your spot sweet! So, always focus on making sure that you will not allow those challenges to shape you or the way you do your work. No matter how dark your workplace is or the challenges you may be facing, you are called to shine.

References:

Free Educational Resources for the public from Grace Communion Seminary. Studies in Galatians, Ephesians, and Philippians: Philippians 2:14-29 – Examples of Humility. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://learn.gcs.edu/mod/book/view.php?id=5608&chapterid=394#:~:text=%E2%80%9CDo%20everything%20without%20complaining%20or,14%2D16).

Ethical conundrums and UX – sins of omission and outcome bias. The Interaction Design Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved April 3, 2022, from https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/ethical-conundrums-and-ux-sins-of-omission-and-outcome-bias