Day 116: Job Satisfaction

"Did one always take for granted what came easily and long for what was impossible?" - This quote was taken from a book I am reading called One Amazing Thing, by Chita Banerjee Divakaruni. Asked in the past tense, this question seems to assume that this person is looking back on life, on decisions made, thoughts set in motion, or perhaps merely a reflection on human nature. I thought it would be a good follow up to my post yesterday about the gift of being able to walk and my own determination to not take that gift for granted. But I think that I have taken for granted certain other things in my life. One of those things is my job. 

Here in Sweden I work in a completely different field that I have ever worked before and it is probably a field I would never have even considered at all had it not been for the job listing and my determination to find a job, any job, in a foreign country. I work for a lighting design company. The company, based in Germany, designs and creates lights for a somewhat, exclusive niche and we sell those lights here in Sweden. The group in which I work is small with me being the fourth employee added. 

Because my position was not filled due to a vacancy but a brand new position, I have had quite a bit of freedom to shape the position into my own, with the guidance and assistance of my boss and fellow employees. Partly due to the language barrier (I am learning Swedish and getting better day by day) I have been given new responsibilities slowly over the time that I have been there. There are days when I have not had much actual work to do and I have longed for something more, dreamed of a job utilizing my creativity and exciting me to get up every morning. 

In my longing for something more however, I have taken for granted the wonderful opportunity that I have to create the job as I would like it to be, as well as the excellent benefits that we receive. One particularly awesome benefit is that during the summer, which is defined as being from May to August, our office closes early on Fridays, at two p.m. Yes, Friday at two p.m. I can get on my bicycle and ride home, or wherever I want to go. In addition, I have had the opportunity to travel to Germany for work three times in the last year or so. I have made new friends and met some wonderful colleagues that work in Germany, in the U.K., in the U.S. and even in Scotland. 

So what is my happy for today? I have discovered a renewed excitement for my job and a renewed sense of appreciation for the opportunities that I have in my position. The past three days have been very busy and I have found that I do enjoy the work I do and the people that I work with. I guess you could say that I have found job satisfaction in my unlikely job at the lighting design company. Finding happy every day includes finding it in the places that I put aside or compartmentalize.