There is no such thing as a routine day or one day being the same as any other.

There is infinite variation and diversity in everything we do, we just get dulled to it. The bagel you ate this morning was completely new, it’s just hard to see because you eat them everyday.

This is a trap that is especially easy to fall into at work because so many of us buy into the bullshit idea that we “have” to be there.

The only thing you have to do is die someday. Everything else is a choice, including going to work.

But because we fall into believing we have to be there, we go on autopilot to get through the day. This is a waste of the time we have on this planet, and it causes us to miss thousands of opportunities to be useful to others and inject meaning into every moment we have.

I really believe that my initial training to be a counselor started when I worked the front desk at hotels.

My whole life changed when I realized that every interaction with another person was worthwhile, and that I might be the only friendly face and conversation they encountered that day. It made everything worthwhile, kept me off of autopilot, and helped me be a good employee.

What are the things you do without thinking about them at work?

What opportunities are you missing to find meaning in how you earn a paycheck?

Do you ever forget that the people you work with (even the annoying customers) are actual human beings with deep, complicated and scary lives? What would change if you kept this in mind?