Be Your Own Chauffeur

I'm sure many of you have heard this before, but I feel like it is an important life lesson that we often take for granted. Maya Angelou said, "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." Sound familiar? Even if you haven't heard this quote before, I'm sure your mentors, supervisors, friends, or people within your circle of acquaintances have talked about this general concept. This will be the focus through the rest of my piece.

In my opinion, graduate students and interns often get the short end of the stick when it comes to responsibilities and assignments. If a full-time professional does not want to take something on, they often pass it on to a graduate assistant or intern as part of the "other duties as assigned" portion of the job description. You know what? That's completely alright. You've also probably heard of the quote: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." As a Residence Director, I have done my fair share of complaining, griping, and doing what I could to impose change. Just because I didn't like something, I felt a need to change it. The most growth comes from these negative, and often challenging, experiences. I'm telling myself (and you, as a reader) to accept the pieces of your job that you can't change and to make the changes when they are only truly needed.

The title of this blog is "Be Your Own Chauffeur." Have you figured out the connection yet? It is important for us to be the driving forces in our own lives and to control the things we have the power to control. The greatest area in which many people and professionals in student affairs have direct influence is their own personal attitude. Yes, I have met many individuals in the profession who have terrible attitudes. Fortunately, this is our biggest area of self-influence.

This past week, I have been completing online Room Occupancy Checks (ROCs) through our StarRez system. It is not the most glamorous or most exciting job, and I will be the first to admit that. Have I been the most positive of influences to those around me? I would be lying if I said I was. Hopefully by writing this, I will be able to hold myself better accountable for my attitude and spheres of influence. What I am trying to get at is that it is important to make the most out of the worst of situations. That is how your friends, peers, other co-workers, and supervisors will remember you by. Attitude is a defining feature and is often the "make" or "break" when it comes to one candidate getting a job over another.

As you go through life, I hope you remember that you are a major influence in whether you are having a great day or a terrible one. Even in the most critical and negative of transitions, your attitude reflects who you are as a person and professional, in many cases. How do YOU want to be remembered? Make those changes and be the driving force in your life.