I was talking with some guys last weekend, and one of them was expressing his dissatisfaction with his job. “I just keep my head down and fly beneath radar, until it’s time to go” is what he said. Oh my God, I wanted to be sick. Just the thought of it. I felt terrible for him. The feeling of being stuck anywhere is awful. Freedom is something I take for granted everyday. I have been stuck in most every place someone can be stuck- from jail to jobs to mental institutes to sides of highways to stuck inside my own head, I have been trapped. It’s really a bad existence.

I’m certainly not heralded for my strategic planning, but “flying beneath radar” is, by far, the worst and most tortuous plan of existence that I can possibly imagine. There is no amount of money that is worth “just hanging around and trying not to be noticed”. It seems like there is a great number of avoidance strategies- many different plans for enduring unhappiness, but very few basic assertive strategies that involve direct communication. I hear people say, “I want to tell them blah, blah blah” or “I wish that my boss could see blur, blur, blur”, but I seldom hear any real stories of people knocking on the door and sitting down to speak with their superior. Maybe I am missing something, I am certainly no expert. I have worked for myself for the past thirteen years, but open communication seems to work in other areas of my life.

I’m not sure if anyone has ever been fired for saying that they want to be considered for more responsibility, or that they want to become a better employee, or that they would like to level-up their work for the sake of the company. What is “flying beneath radar”? An aspiration to stay stuck for as long as possible with only hope of being left behind, and hopefully forgotten?

Don’t fly beneath radar. Fly into the radar and drop some muther friggin bombs on the place. Make your intentions known. Let people know what it is that you want to achieve and ask for their help in achieving these things. Be assertive, yet humble. You deserve opportunity, and they deserve your best.

You remember the game “sharks and minnows” that you played at the swimming pool, when we were young? Ya know, one person in the pool (the shark) approaches all the people on the side of the pool (minnows), and the minnows try to jump over, under, and around the shark so they don’t get tagged. You remember that? There was always “that guy” at the pool, who was hard-core, who was not afraid to jump first. He was the guy that would stand right there in plain view of the shark and just go, balls out, and take the leap, willing to risk being tagged, if it meant making it to the other side. He understood  the game. If he got tagged, so be it, he was “it” for a round. BUT, if he made it, he got to look back and watch all of the other minnows jockey for position as they try to “fly beneath radar” and wiggle their way past.

We don’t deal with real sharks at work, even though we make them out to be. Yes, there may be some real dicks, and really difficult people, but they are human and appreciate the same courtesy as you. My point is, people who are higher up than you are still very approachable. There is nothing wrong with sticking your head up, raising your hand, and making it clear that you want to be noticed, want to do a good job, and want to succeed. I like the feeling of knowing that there are surprises coming with each day. In order to get these surprises, I have to stick my neck out and keep my eyes open. It’s really a lot of fun.

Knock ’em dead today. I know you have it in you to be great. We all do.

Peace, Love, and all things Beef related,

Beefcake

My name is Wilson Horrell, aka “Beefcake”.  I am a total fat guy. At heart, I am a drunken, cigarette-loving, junkie, and addict of all things unhealthy. I reached rock-bottom back in the Summer of 2011 and decided to get clean. With sobriety came a great deal of changes in my day-to-day life. I am a big, lazy animal who somehow got mixed up in CrossFit, started hanging with the crowd at LHRL, and watched my life and daily habits change. I started blogging as a way to journal my fitness, and it has turned out to be very therapeutic. I have found that my life is enhanced by community, and I am at my happiest when I am interacting with other people. I have a beautiful and incredibly intelligent wife, Amanda, as well as two wonderfully gifted children, Grayson and Andie Kate. I have no education or experience as a writer, and almost no knowledge of grammar. I just enjoy spitting it out on paper as it goes through my brain. I hope you enjoy reading, and feel free to reach out or comment at anytime!

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