I Had To Share This.

I think Brett and Mike Rowe went to the same school of "telling it like it is . . . " where the emphasis is on diplomacy . . . NOT!

Jopa

Tarren

Still no reply from Brett?!?!?? I was hoping to hear his take on this one.

Tarren

I completely missed this thread somehow....slipped right by me.

Everything he said was dead on. Some of my favorite parts:

...how you feel about the world around you is completely up to you

That's straight out of Buddhism 101....you control your own thoughts, and therefore your own emotions. You decide what you like and don't like. You decide if you're happy or not. Something only becomes what it is to you after you've decided what it is to you.

Stop looking for the “right” career, and start looking for a job. Any job. Forget about what you like. Focus on what’s available. Get yourself hired. Show up early. Stay late. Volunteer for the scut work. Become indispensable.

This applies to so many people entering the trucking industry today. Many people have lost their jobs or found that their career doesn't pay the bills anymore and it's time to do something until you can find a way to do something you prefer. So for now, trucking it is. But if you're going to do something then go for it! Prove to your employer that you're worthy of special treatment, special attention, and special favors once in a while. There will be a small percentage of people that will stand out above the rest. Why wouldn't you want to be one of them? Become the best driver you can be and see where life leads you next. And above all else, handle your job and yourself in a way you can be proud of. Maybe you'll drive for 30 years, maybe only 30 days. But when the time comes to walk away you want to do it with your head held high.

Not to mention.....how many people do you know that were offered better opportunities elsewhere even though they were cr*ppy at their job? Nobody we know. That only happens with politicians and corporate executives. So we can forget that.

And most of all, stop worrying about your happiness. Happiness does not come from a job. It comes from knowing what you truly value, and behaving in a way that’s consistent with those beliefs.

I've never heard it put better.

I think Brett and Mike Rowe went to the same school of "telling it like it is . . . " where the emphasis is on diplomacy . . . NOT!

Excuse me if this sounds like "brown nosing", it is certainly not intended as that, but a desire to clarify something.

I think some times when people are new to this forum, if they happen to witness one of those rare moments when Brett seems to tear into someone, it surprises them a little and they think he was kind of "terse" or a little "sharp" with his comments. It surprises them because he is most of the time very helpful and generous with the information he gives out. What they don't realize is that it is that same spirit of generosity and willingness to help which drives him to respond quickly and decisively at times when he smells a rat. He's done this long enough that he is usually very accurate with his discernment of a load of..., well let's just call it "organic fertilizer".

When you run a forum like this you occasionally get these nut jobs who get some sort of thrill by "faking it" and trying to be someone that they really aren't, or you also get the ones who already know it all and want to come in and set everybody straight. Brett has a unique ability to recognize these perpetrators of deceit and cut them off before they've done any damage. When my grandfather would try to cut out all the B.S. coming from somebody he disagreed with he would say "Let's just cut the corn and get to the beans". Brett reminds me at times of that unique ability I admired in my grandfather.

I think Brett and Mike Rowe went to the same school of "telling it like it is . . . " where the emphasis is on diplomacy . . . NOT!

Excuse me if this sounds like "brown nosing", it is certainly not intended as that, but a desire to clarify something.

I think some times when people are new to this forum, if they happen to witness one of those rare moments when Brett seems to tear into someone, it surprises them a little and they think he was kind of "terse" or a little "sharp" with his comments. It surprises them because he is most of the time very helpful and generous with the information he gives out. What they don't realize is that it is that same spirit of generosity and willingness to help which drives him to respond quickly and decisively at times when he smells a rat. He's done this long enough that he is usually very accurate with his discernment of a load of..., well let's just call it "organic fertilizer".

When you run a forum like this you occasionally get these nut jobs who get some sort of thrill by "faking it" and trying to be someone that they really aren't, or you also get the ones who already know it all and want to come in and set everybody straight. Brett has a unique ability to recognize these perpetrators of deceit and cut them off before they've done any damage. When my grandfather would try to cut out all the B.S. coming from somebody he disagreed with he would say "Let's just cut the corn and get to the beans". Brett reminds me at times of that unique ability I admired in my grandfather.

I completely agree, Old School. Which is one of the reasons I wanted to read his response. ...as well as your's, and anyone else's for that matter. I have always been the type of person who learns from others experiences. That's why I love this site and the members in it! It's a wealth experience and great advice. I just hope I can put it all to good use when I get out there on the road!

Tarren

Great article thanks for posting it.