Some people waste their entire lives choosing average, blaming their circumstances for where they are in life. What these people fail to realise is that the same mediocre winds fall upon us all, and our direction is not determined by the blowing of the wind-our happiness is completely controlled by how we set our sails. In Awesome or Average: Vol. 1, wellness professional and motivational speaker B. M. Selby-Hele brings us an invigorating, inspirational and up-close view of fifty of the most underappreciated, yet critical, jobs in our modern world. From bricklayer to IT tech to waitress to stay-at-home dad, Awesome or Average shows us how even in the most average and undervalued of situations, we can still achieve awesome in our lives and our work. Anyone who struggles with motivation and purpose on a daily basis will appreciate Selby-Hele's concise, entertaining and insightful vignettes. With one page per profession, the selections move from their average definition to the fullness of their awesome equivalent. And this awesome equivalent, which is truly no equivalent at all, can be ours if we but take the step. Make that choice. Choose to be awesome no matter what you do or who you are.
Awesome or Average
Vol. 1By B. M. Selby-HeleBalboa Press
Copyright © 2011 B.M. Selby-Hele
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4525-0224-3Contents
Preface..................................xiBricklayer...............................1Nurse....................................3Concreter................................5Carpenter................................7Personal Trainer.........................9Baker....................................11Receptionist.............................13Chef.....................................15Personal Assistant.......................17Checkout Worker..........................19Factory Worker...........................21Crane Operator...........................23Laborer..................................25Lifeguard................................27Waiter/Waitress..........................29Garbage Collector........................31Teacher..................................33Accountant...............................35IT Person................................37Restaurateur.............................39Librarian................................41Electrician..............................43Real Estate Agent........................45Police Officer...........................47Kitchen Hand.............................49Sales Representative.....................51Truck Driver.............................53Stay-at-Home Dad.........................55Publisher................................57Mail Carrier.............................59Sign Writer..............................61Graphic Designer.........................63Landscaper...............................65Engineer.................................67Housewife................................69Bus Driver...............................71Groundskeeper............................73Bartender................................75Coach....................................77Arborist.................................79Road Worker..............................81Bank Teller..............................83Taxi Driver..............................85Newsagent................................87Agent....................................89Butcher..................................91Fast Food Attendant......................93Hairdresser..............................95Plumber..................................97Fisherman................................99My Spiel.................................101
Chapter One
Bricklayer A person whose job it is to build walls, houses, and other structures with bricks.
Protector from the Elements
I have a responsibility of gigantic proportions. I am not only responsible for ensuring that freezing winds, harsh rains, and penetrating heat are kept at bay, but am also judged by the aesthetic nature of the given structure and its ability to provide a sound living and working environment. I protect people from the elements and build structures with the utmost care, displaying fine attention to detail. I not only worry about the overall look of the finished product, but also concern myself with every element responsible for ensuring a sound finish!
I painstakingly create my mud by hand, batch after batch, ensuring it is of the highest quality to possess the integral strength required to keep each brick attached to another. I realize that if the mud is not sound, the finished product risks being flawed and may crumble, and that is not a chance I dare take when my reputation is on the line. Each brick is meticulously positioned with intention, guided by the string line that I've placed, measured and checked, then measured and checked again. Keeping each and every brick level and on track is the cross I bear. No one brick is superior to another; each and every brick has the potential to jeopardize the finished product.
On a daily basis, I risk life and limb for greatness, fearlessly scaling heights on scaffolding to complete my masterpiece. Only I have the true vision of the ultimate outcome in mind, and I will not rest until each and every necessary brick has been laid to achieve that result. Each brick is laid with the same care and effort applied to the one before it. The larger the structure, the more bricks to be laid, the more days required to fulfill the task. While the days can blur into one, I remain vigilant and focused on the end result. That's what fuels me.
Uncompromising in my execution from start to finish, I enjoy the fruits of my labor when the project is completed. Looking back, I'm satisfied with the end result and humbled by the fact that my structure will stand the test of time. But I do not linger for long, because as one structure is complete, another is just beginning.
Nurse
A person trained to take care of the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital.
Patron of Unconditional Care
The often silent and unnoticed face of caring for the frail and the sick, I am bound by my compulsion to look after and nurture others in their times of vulnerability and need. Each and every day, I stand at the coalface, dealing with the devastating effects that misfortune and ill health can have on a human being. While the hours are long and the demands relentless, I manage to take responsibility for each and every patient whose needs I cater to as if they were of my own flesh and blood. This trait I possess is not something that is learned, but something that I was born with. I cannot ignore it, which is why no matter how many times I may draw blood, clean a patient, answer a patient's call of distress, or simply provide a reassuring word, I do so with utmost sincerity and unconditional caring.
Often, my patience and generosity goes unnoticed, and I am left to deal with the resentment and spite I can harbor towards those who have underappreciated me. However, I don't let these feelings get the better of me; I'm above that. My seasoned soul knows that for every person who ignores my caring gestures and actions, there is one who takes notice and truly appreciates everything I do, and that person makes what I do worthwhile.
I deal with people at their most vulnerable, and often, it brings out unexpected and unanticipated outcomes. Yet amazingly, through all the madness, I remain level-headed and focused, because that's the effect I have on those around me, and that's the reason I do what I do. My presence is something that cannot have a monetary value attached to it, because if it did, it would be priceless. I continue to serve the ill of health for the sense of fulfillment it engulfs me with. Each patient is like my own child. The bond I forge with each person is unconditional, and it remains until I have helped that patient through his or her time of need.
I don't care for others because I am forced to, but because I have to; it's in my make-up. The moment I stop caring is the moment I lose purpose in my profession, so I am forever affixed to the great sense of honor that comes with imparting the gift of life on another human being. My skills far surpass what is taught in the institutions of education; they were ingrained in me from the moment I came into this world. In a world plagued by the misfortunate and ill of health, I rest at ease, knowing there will always be people for me to nurture, care for, and serve until they return to full health.
Concreter
A person whose job it is to build foundations, walls, and other structures with concrete.
Foundation Expert
I have a position of immense responsibility; I build the very foundations on which humanity exists. While not the most decorated role, without me, our most basic day-to-day operations and pleasantries would cease to exist. Possessing the strongest ties to the origin of my profession, my skill set remains relatively unchanged while those other trades around me have progressed and evolved through the ages. With this in mind, I represent and embody the true essence of construction. Through time, I have refined the application of the raw materials I continue to use. To the untrained eye, a foundation may just be a slab of concrete for a house to be built on, but little do those outside my profession know the toil that belies the smooth finish I effortlessly create.
Preparation cannot be overlooked. I approach each project with a fresh set of eyes and never assume anything. Having learned from those who have made mistakes before me, I know that if I fail to prepare, I am preparing to fail. I take to a vacant plot of raw earth with my tenacious disposition and cultivate it into a form that can sustain growth. With shovel in hand, I carve out the footings that will stand to fuse my concrete to the earth, forging an alliance that will not be broken by any mortal power.
The reinforced steel I individually prepare and shape stands as the nucleus of the foundation. Though not seen, once complete, its binary properties unite the individual elements that exist within my concrete: that of sand, stone, and cement. Each barrow of cement I pour brings with it sweat and hardship. Filled with contempt, tripping over the steel mesh below my feet, I refrain from venting my frustration, as I know the importance of its presence.
Once I have poured the concrete, I know only half the work is done. It's at this point that I continue to keep faith that the extremes in weather will stay at bay as I begin the artful process of leveling and smoothing my concrete mass. Carving out gradients where required, I define the foundation and give it its unique attributes that will allow for construction to occur.
No two foundations are the same. Knowing this, I pride myself on attention to detail and my ability to work under pressure and under time constraints. The weight of the world rests on top of my creations, and I thrive on knowing that I wouldn't have it any other way.
Carpenter
A person who builds or repairs wooden structures, such as houses, scaffolds, or shelving.
Master Craftsman
My brain never stops thinking. I wish I could turn it off, but the passion I have for my craft remains forever at the forefront of my agenda. I have a plethora of tools at my disposal, and all of them have their own distinct features and functions. Only I know how and when they should be used. Every tool offers a potential solution to my problem, but what plagues my mind is this: what tool is going to produce the best result? It's one thing to possess the right tool, but I know it's another thing entirely to be able to extract the desired outcome from it. Some see me as a perfectionist; however, I don't parade that fact. I let my finished products do the talking, and they speak in volumes. For me, perfection is an expected outcome, and I am humbled by people's perception of my creations.
In its purest form, all I do is simply saw, hammer, and nail timber together. However, my job entails much more, and that goes without saying. I construct buildings for people to live in. I create furniture for function and for beauty. My creations allow life to radiate from and around them, and they have the potential to last a lifetime. This is my medium for expression—like an author uses words—yet words fail to truly express how my craft makes me feel. With every creation, I impart some of my soul upon it in hope that it surpasses my existence and goes on standing as a legacy of my life's work.
My creations shape the environment they're thrust into. They help facilitate the evolution of humanity as they improve the quality of living of others. Like the skeleton provides support for the human body, I produce the skeleton to support society and allow it to grow. Everything that grows internally and externally is shaped around the structures I put into place. I can acknowledge the power I possess, though seldom do I dare take advantage of it.
For every problem, I can devise a solution from the skills I continue to nurture. Forever aware of advancements in my field, I will never be satisfied by what I knew yesterday. Consequently, I will always strive to know more and in turn be able to offer more.
Personal Trainer
A person who works one-on-one with a client to plan or implement an exercise or fitness regimen.
Lifestyle Liberator
Holding a position of immense potential, my passion is revealing the potential of those under my guidance. I pride myself on my ability to ingrain habits of health and wellness into those who are not yet privileged to the information I behold. While it is expected that I possess motivational and inspiring qualities, I acknowledge these can be learned and shared to help others achieve their goals. I possess flair in being able to transform the human body, and people yearn for my advice.
Funnily enough, I tend not to perceive myself as inspiring. The knowledge I pass on has been acquired through valuing my health to the highest degree. I understand that good health is the most valuable asset anyone can possess, and for that reason alone, it should be the first thing that is taken care of and nurtured daily. My greatest satisfaction lies in transforming the way people think and perceive their health, and my proficiency in elevating people's expectations of themselves improves humanity—one person at a time.
Ambitions for one's body are frequently created, yet infrequently achieved. I give life to the ambitions that have remained dormant and trapped inside countless numbers of individuals—individuals who have longed to change their lives but haven't recognized how to yet. I provide them with directions; guiding them and keeping them on track, I give them all they require to attain what they desire. At some point, I must let them go on their own. This is an uncertain time, but I trust in my tools and have faith in the strength of my subjects' convictions. No one person I help is the same; each person's body, goals, and needs are different. What people fail to appreciate is that each program—each individual map I plot out—solely caters to that individual and their ambition alone.
Appreciating everyone's idiosyncrasies, I alter my services to suit. I find strength of character in individuals, help them to recognize their strengths, and give them a means to harness that strength and achieve greatly. While the world remains in a state of obesity and bodily distress, I will continue my quest. Every day, I pick up where I left off the day before, with the intent of never stopping, because it's a lifestyle choice I choose to make.
Baker
A person who bakes and usually sells bread, cake, etc.
Global Nourisher
Handling our most basic staple, I have provided nourishment for the world over as far back as records go. Still, I am as needed now as I was at the time of my inception. Water, flour, and yeast are my principle ingredients. It's my innovation, though, that sees my range of creations exceed the range of goods made by bakers before me.
In practice, I epitomize the phrase, "The early bird catches the worm." If we were birds, I would be the earliest of them all. My day often begins when others' days are coming to a close, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The serenity of the early morning cannot be bought, and the productivity it allows me to capitalize on institutionalizes my profession. I thrive on the subtle amazement of those whom consume my baked delicacies as they begin to comprehend exactly how early one must begin work to capture such freshness. This alone fills me with pride for my trade and a reason to smile.
In the solitary confines of my sultry workplace, I gather raw ingredients and compose them into varying combinations. Repetition is a word that is synonymously attached to me, as I combine, mix, and bake repeatedly for hours on end until I suffice my inner hunger and fulfill my quota. I'm oxymoronic in my temperament, as I crave manhandling dough, but I can only acquire a sense of fulfillment by revealing my delicate and fragile side, which is reflected in my finished creations.
My complexity is disguised by my no-fuss exterior, which is by no means a criticism, but a badge of honor I wear with pride when I enter my culinary coliseum. It's my hardened ensemble that defines me—the remnants of battles won and lost remain visibly etched on my person, each one standing as a challenge faced, but more importantly, overcome.
Irrespective of what's going on in my world, I'm always at peace by my kiln. It gives me clarity of mind and provides me with a true sense of purpose; moreover, it allows me to express myself like no other. Ultimately, the service I provide will always be needed, and that lies at the heart of my infatuation for what I do. Long after I'm gone, the traditions I embody will continue to satisfy the hunger of the world and enable humanity to continually evolve.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Awesome or Averageby B. M. Selby-Hele Copyright © 2011 by B.M. Selby-Hele. Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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