The Virtue of Sticking Around

Do you like to be praised for what you do? Sure, we all do. But if your goal is persistent praise, I fear staying in the same place for very long will be antithetical to that goal. 

A fairly exceptional dude with a unique skill set once said, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” That’s a lot of ‘and,’ each getting a little closer to home. And if he couldn’t get perma-props from the people he spent the 9–5 with, you likely won’t either.

Do you want to be a part of a big mission with lots of moving parts, with a daily goal of massive group accomplishment? Then you need to actually stick around for more than a few minutes to see it through and contribute (sometimes without many folks telling you how great you are.) Mission work is done by missionaries in the mission field. Because you need to actually be there to make an impact there. 

Maybe the problem isn’t that you don’t have enough people telling you how awesome you are. Maybe the problem is you don’t stay around the same people long enough to actually be awesome alongside them. I wonder how many folks jump from job to job looking for that initial feeling of being wanted and important, chasing an unsustainable high, kudos junkies, slaves to affirmation? 

By all means, please spend your working hours somewhere you’re appreciated, with like-minded, amazing people. Work in a healthy environment where you can contribute and be appreciated for your contributions. But don’t think just because no one patted you on the back today that it’s time to go. 

The grass isn’t greener on the other side, it’s just different grass. Which lawn are you supposed to be on? Great. Now, get to work.