Daily Routine

Every weekday a great many of us get up and head to our place of work like programmed DVRs recording our daily trials and tribulations. There is no thought around this; it’s done. It is to some degree called ‘flow’ – we don’t think, we do.

There is something nice about this routine. The same person, who hands you your cup of coffee, says hello and asks you a question about your life. Or a common person that you see on your commute who nods at you to let you know that you are in it together. These little moments can mean a lot to some people. You count on them because there is so little out there to control or count on any more. The global markets are a mess and the job stress just gets worse. It’s these friendly faces that give you some hope/strength and reassurance that this too shall pass.

It’s not just these individuals that make you feel better. Occasionally you get the same support from a co-worker. You get a feeling of camaraderie with one or two people that you see every weekday. Most of you know how this is. You have an unspoken communication with them – they understand how you feel and vice versa. You talk to them about anything and everything and you get into a groove with them. You become each other’s cheerleader in some ways. You push each other to be better and to give the best possible example of their work in every situation. It’s really a lovely feeling when you achieve this with someone.

And as this grows, you come to see this person as the sunshine of your work day. They become the sounding board to your complaints, the confidant to whom you describe your doubts, your coach while you train to do something, a mentor while you learn something and you become that for them. In many ways, this person’s smile, voice or personality makes it worth going to work even if everything else absolutely goes wrong.

All this is wonderful and fantastic. Sadly like all good things, these relationships sometimes come to an end. Since change is a constant, you know it’s going to happen. However, when this moment does come, you go through a feeling of lose and grief almost as profound as if the person has passed away. The only comfort is the knowledge that you have had this connection with someone and to treasure the memories and discussions that you have had with them. In an ideal world, this connection never fades. So as long as the daily routine doesn’t drastically change, an ideal world is still a possibility.