I got an email update from a friend of mine yesterday, a young woman finishing her teaching degree at American University in Washington, DC. Danielle wrote about how much she loves student teaching, how much she learns from the kids, how much effort and creativity she puts into connecting with the kids. She even blogs about it occasionally. The enthusiasm that poured out from this email filled me with joy.

If I read the above, I’d think, “Sure, another naive college kid who’s been given everything and has no real experience.” Yet Danielle doesn’t fit that mold. She’s lived through some serious challenges. She also paid her way through community college and managed to get accepted at American University. Now she works several jobs, gets excellent grades and continues to pay her own way, while having a great time. Danielle loves teaching and  it shows. She already has a couple of tentative job offers from elementary school principals and hasn’t even applied yet.

So what does the enthusiasm a college senior has for teaching (and for life), have to do with Construction Supervisors? We also work in an amazing industry. We get a chance to build things every day. We solve unique problems all the time. What’s your attitude about your job? Do you grit your teeth and endure? Or do you relish in all the challenges and fun of the jobsite?

I know it seems cool to be cynical, but that’s a bunch of hooey. Any fool can be cynical, any dope can mock and ridicule. Give yourself the gift of enthusiasm. Learn to enjoy the challenges of construction and express that enjoyment. Dereck and I often talk about how fortunate we are to be building the projects we build. The day goes much better when you learn to feel and  express that enthusiasm, both to yourself and others.

Give it a try, you’ll like it.