All Work Is Honorable

Your business is closing and you realize you may have to get a job. We all have basic commitments and responsibilities, especially those of us who have families. We must provide the basic requirements and to do so we need revenue, or income, on a regular basis. This we all know. Perhaps now, after years–or maybe a lifetime–of being a small business owner, an entrepreneur, you find yourself confronted with the daunting task of finding a job, having made the decision that you cannot re-enter the entrepreneurial world at this point in time. This requires a huge adjustment of attitude, demeanor, focus, and yes, your context.

First, ALL WORK IS HONORABLE. This is the starting point. It’s your context that counts. “Everything you do reveals something about who you are as a man and as a leader.” Yes, it may feel like a step down from the lofty position of being the boss to the lowly position of being an employee, but that is all emotional baggage. The only issue is what you bring to the job. If it is complete commitment, total focus, a no-problem attitude and a desire to do your best and add value to all you are doing, then you are acting impeccably and can hold your head high. You are acting as honorably as a man can, doing whatever it takes to support your family and its needs.

All work is honorable because the underlying commitment you are fulfilling is honorable, i.e. taking care of your obligations and family requirements. If it requires coming off the pedestal you were perched on, then so be it. So what. This is not about position or what others think or how they view you. That is all irrelevant and of no consequence. All that counts is that you act as an honorable man, fulfilling your commitments and obligations in any way you can.

Take pride in your commitment to succeed, whether it be selling used cars or encyclopedias, in the end it is all for the same goal–fulfilling your commitments and obligations and acting honorably. That is the benchmark, the determination of who you really are and what you really stand for. Everything else is window dressing. There are plenty of jobs out there… get one.