Early in my career, I worked as a teller for the Bank of Nova Scotia (now operating as ScotiaBank). The branch was located in a small mini-mall with dated infrastructure. Aside from the main level, housing all banking operations, there was a basement accessible only to staff, containing a lunchroom, washrooms, and lockers.
One morning, the bank manager arrived early, unlocked the door, deactivated the alarm, and proceeded directly to his office at the back of the building. When he flipped on the light, to his great surprise and horror, there was a large rat sitting in the middle of his desk. As the rest of the staff arrived, we were greeted by the sight of our usually unflappable bank manager fleeing the building in a full blown panic. You would have thought the rat was brandishing a gun.
Did you know that rats actually have endearing qualities? They’re compassionate and take care of injured and sick rats in their group. They also have excellent memories. Once they learn a navigation route, they won’t forget it. Rats also are known to make happy “laughter” sounds when they play.
On the flip side, they have some not-so-endearing qualities. They can chew through electrical wires, cinderblocks and even lead pipes with their razor sharp teeth, and they’ve been known to bite people while they’re sleeping. They can also tread water for three days and survive being flushed down a toilet. Even worse, they can return to the building they were ‘flushed’ from via the same route.
Yikes…
It’s easy to see why our 6’6″ bank manager would run in the opposite direction upon encountering a rat. They don’t exactly inspire the warm fuzzies. So, it stands to reason that any phrase containing the word “rat” wouldn’t inspire the warm fuzzies either.
Case in point… “rat race”. The Cambridge Dictionary defines a “rat race” as being a way of life in modern society in which people compete with each other for power and money, similar to rats attempting to earn a reward in vain. In a nutshell, an endless, self-defeating, exhausting pursuit.
Have you found yourself in a rat race lately? Or even presently? The good news is that you can choose to get out of the rat race and start running your best race.
How?
First and foremost, if you want to be miserable, compare yourself to the Joneses. They may have a bigger house, nicer cars, designer wardrobes, and the latest toys and gadgets but who’s to say they’re truly happy? People are working longer hours and taking less vacation time while accumulating crushing debt at the expense of their health and relationships… all just to stay part of the rat race. If we fall for the lie that we have to keep up with the Joneses (who are those people anyway?), we will never be truly happy.
How do we get out the rat race and start running our best race?
Volunteering to help the less fortunate is always a great exercise because it puts things into perspective and reminds us how blessed we already are. Plus, the reward that comes from helping others can’t be bought.
It’s also important to have worthwhile priorities and to stick to them as much as possible. You won’t go wrong if you invest time and energy into the people in your life. Spend quality time together. Talk… laugh… listen… play… connect… have fun.
Aim too for a healthy balance in life. This includes taking good care of yourself. If you’re exhausted and stressed out all the time, it’s nearly impossible to accomplish anything of value.
When we die, we can’t take our money or possessions with us so it’s futile to live like we will. It’s a rare person who comes to the end of their life, and wished they’d worked more, owned more, or acquired more.
Bottom line?
Don’t be a rat…
thejoyjourney 