BLOOM where you are Planted

This is an article taken from Philippine Star dated 3 Sundays ago. It's from Career Roadmap,a regular column on Business section on the said broadsheet by Nelson Dy.  I find it very useful and helpful to all of us with regards to our work.
Allow me to share it with you(in full context).

Is there more to our job than whatever we do there?In an ideal world, our work is what we can do better than anyone else. Furthermore, we enjoy it so much that we can't believe we are being paid to have fun. But that would not be the case for many in the labor force today. Economic realities force people to accept jobs that don't match their skills or aspirations but nevertheless keep body and soul together. As if to add insult to injury, workplace problems pile stress upon sorrow.
In such difficult times, it helps to remember the principle: Bloom where you are planted.Here's how:

Start with gratitude. The next time you want to scream, "This suckkksss!!," try unemployment. It is all too easy to whine about our paycheck,our bosses and co-workers, the office environment, the workload and so on. But do we have more money to put food in our bellies, pay the bills and indulge in few luxuries? Thank God for our jobs. Realize how many wish they have our position, our paycheck and our lifestyle. Let go of the myth of a perfect job. It doesn't exist. This doesn't prevent us from pursuing a career that fits us as much as possible.But in the meantime, count our blessings.

Choose to love your employer-whoever he is. People who couldn't care less about their company will just show up for work and go through the motions until it's time to go home. Or they will just dump problems to their boss, expecting the boss to handle them.

Go beyond the "What's in store for me?" attitude. One of the most striking Bible verses that speak to our work is, "Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you..into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper" (Jeremiah 29:7). Substitute "company" for "city." We may feel that we are in exile from our dream jobs. But still, we are to seek our employer's welfare.If the company prospers, we will prosper, whether it is in the form of higher pay, deeper work satisfaction or a solid track record.

Master new skills. One of my classmates came from a public relations and communications background, but got hired by abank. Understandably, she was apprehensive because she would be knee-deep in corporate finance. But she rose to become the president of that bank. During one of the class reunions, she playfully dared her classmates who are financial wizards in their own right,"Now I can read a balance sheet as well as you."

When we wind up in a job that doesn't fit our expectations, it is tempting to complain or quit. Either way, we are, we are the losers because we would be forfeiting valuable learning opportunities. We can still head for the top, but through a different route. Along that route, we acquire a new set of skills which in turn would in turn would prove indispensable once we finally reach the top.

Think "same dream,different path." Mike aspired to be a doctor but had to sell insurance to pay the bills. Suppose Mike use his selling skills, credibility and track record to promote medical products instead? It's not the same as being a physician, but he can still wok out of a passion for physical wellness. He would be working not for commission, but out of a life mission, "To save lives."

Don' t think that you have to kill and bury your dreams.Keep your dreams alive, but be flexible in strategies to make them happen. I love what David Yonggi Cho, a Korean pastor wrote, "When we pray specifically for certain dreams, we will go through a period of dying our dreams. But God will resurrect the dead dreams so that we would not go backwards in faith."Our aspirations may lie dormant but are still valid. They are only postponed for the meantime until we fulfill them in new ways.The destination is still the same;we only have to use a different map to get there.

Be trustworthy.Competence is one thing. Trustworthiness is another.Suppose you know of a plumber who is a virtuoso with faucets and P-traps, but steals things from your house when you are not looking. I doubt you will hire that person.

Because the boss trusts you, he has no qualms in giving you more responsibilities, which in turn prapare you for promotions. Trustworthiness carries the by-product of moral leadership, another vital asset at the top. When people see that you are not working for selfish interest, but for their overall good in mind, they will follow you wherever you lead them to.

Never say "That is not my job." Seek the welfare of your employer. Learn and do as much as you can.Embrace the reality but with an eye to your aspirations.Develop a reputation of trustworthiness. Who knows in the hands of God, these mindsets are His raw materials to shape a brand new future for you.