I frequent a local McDonald’s to grab a burger and drink once or twice a week when I’m in town. Over time, I’ve gotten to know Cassandra, one of the people behind the line who cooks the food. It started out with her saying “Hi” to me as she walked though the dining room. I said, “Hi” in return. Over several weeks, she would begin to ask how I was doing, always with a big smile on her face. She seemed genuinely interested, so I would share something friendly in return.
A couple of weeks ago, I stopped her as she passed by and said, “Tell me about yourself.” Cassandra told me was born in Mexico and migrated to the Denver area about 15 years ago. I asked her how long she has worked at this McDonalds. She told me 14 years.
I said, “Wow! That’s a very long time. It must be hard work.”
She said, “Yes, it is. But I love it. I have the same hours every week. That way, I can spend time with my husband and take care of my kids.”
I noticed she was carrying a salad in a plastic container. “You bring your own lunch to work?” I asked.
“Oh, yes!” she said. “I never eat the food I cook here. It will make you fat,” she laughed.
Cassandra is one of those people who blend into the background of our lives. We tend to assign a station in life to them. We might even think, “How sad. She’s been stuck working at McDonald’s for 14 years.” But that not her perspective. Cassandra has succeeded in creating a life for herself that serves her priorities.
Our society places such a focus on being successful, yet we rarely stop to think about what it really means for us individually. As a result, we place pressure and stress on ourselves, based on how others have defined it.
So, to ask again the question in the title of this post, is Cassandra successful? She is one of those cheery people we need lots more of in this today’s world and chances are she does not experience the same stress that the other more “successful” people who work around her.
Who do you know in your environment who has found a way to create a successful life that works for them based on their priorities? Forget the job title, the influence, the income, and the status. Are you as happy as they are? What can you do you do to adjust your work to fit your priorities? That’s one of the secrets to overcoming overwhelm and beating burnout. Let me know in the comments below.