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The Beatles hummed from a Bose speaker on the counter. A shelf held hand-painted signs that said Rise and shine, It’s Coffee Time and Coffee and Friends Make the Perfect Blend.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas is known for those kinds of $7 knick-knacks, steep streets peppered with Victorian homes, and the haunted Crescent Hotel.
A local sipping from a steaming cup asked the man behind the counter, “What do you enjoy most about running the coffee shop? Is it the people?”
“Being a janitor,” he said laughing behind his Frank Zappa beard.
The man drinking coffee perked up.
“I am a janitor and I love it. I clean 40 rooms every night and 18 hallways with a backpack vacuum cleaner. I’ll retire in 16 months. I’m really going to miss it. I have it better than the teachers because I’m coming to work when they’re leaving and I get to say ‘Have a wonderful evening’ to all of them. I’m really going to miss it.”
That’s a man with perspective.
You can shape your outlook. Changing viewpoints is a skill. It requires a present state of mind, muting negative self-talk, and embracing the value in your work.
Janitors don’t get rid of grime. They make classrooms sparkle so kids can learn in a safe environment.
If your perspective needs an overhaul, start practicing.
