Our Blog

BY Joel Junker

Want to Improve Your Life? Be Grateful!

My favorite week of the year, Thanksgiving week.  A few of my reasons why: short work week, fall weather, start of the “eating season,” Thanksgiving Day, a holiday without the stress of buying gifts, football, and time focused on being grateful.  Author, former CEO and Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishing, Michael Hyatt wrote a great blog post on how being grateful actually improves one’s life.  Benefits include reduced stress, sustained health, improved relationships and keeping negative emotions in check.  When I travel, the crowded airports, lopsided bed and the 9th meal that week from Chipotle Grill can get me down.  I have found that taking time every morning and evening, the bookends of my day, to journal 3 things for which I am grateful, immediately changes my mood, outlook and well-being.  I completely agree with Michael Hyatt’s post.

So, to improve the lives of those working at Cameron-Brooks and all those we serve, here is my professional grateful list for Thanksgiving 2014.  I encourage you to take time to make your list and share it with others as well.

1. Health and physical abilities.  I am thankful for my ability to play sports with my children, reduce stress with exercise, work a full day or travel without any issues.
2. Work colleagues.  I think we all genuinely want to belong to something bigger than ourselves.  I work with amazing people who share the same values and strive to live them every day.  This team works hard and also knows how and when to have fun.
3. Friendship.  Work seems a lot less like work with trusted friends at work.
4. Learning.  I love to read, learn and apply new ideas.  Some work out and some do not, but the process makes work interesting.
5. Meaningful work.  Not everyone has work that directly impacts other people’s lives.  I enjoy coaching, mentoring and developing others.  I find meaning in helping others reach their potential.
6. Career at Cameron-Brooks.  I am fortunate to have grown and developed with the same company for 15 years now.  I know this is contrary to most careers today; however, I am grateful that I am at the same place I started when I left the service and I can look back on how the company and I have changed over those 15 years.
7. Talents.  This is not to be boastful, but rather grateful that I get to do what I do best every day.
8. Feedback.   While I like positive feedback and I am not necessarily grateful at the time I receive constructive feedback, I have colleagues who have the courage and candor to tell me what I need to do to get better.  I want to become my best self and be great.  To do so, I need to keep getting better every day.  I can’t do that unless someone occasionally “shines a mirror” at me.
9. Laughter.  Work is mostly serious, but it should not be all the time.  This took time and maturity for me, but I can now laugh at myself and work with a team of people who have a professional sense of humor.
10. Military Officers and Clients.  While they are our customers and foundation of my career, what I really mean here is that I serve and work with some amazing people who have done and continue to do extraordinary things.  All of us at Cameron-Brooks appreciate you, and I personally thank you for all you teach me so that I can also grow.

From all of us at Cameron-Brooks, thank you for reading our blog, and trusting us with your career search or hiring needs.  We wish all of you a meaningful Thanksgiving holiday.

Joel