DailyBlog: What motives you to go to work?

*** The first three books in my six-part dystopian series have officially made their way out into the world! Check them out!
For the sake of blogging, self-exploration, and contemplation, I’ve been slowly making my way through answering questions from this list

Today’s Question: What motivates you to go to work each day?

Oh good, an easy question! Helping animals. I haven’t had a great history with humans in this world, but animals have never let me down, betrayed me, or deliberately caused me pain. Even the dog who attacked me when I was twelve I’m sure had a reason. Every animal that we deal with needs help and I get to be a part of their journey. Sometimes it’s just helping to connect a pet with the right home for them and connecting a family with the right furry addition for them, other times it’s even more personal and I bring them home and care for them until that family can be found. People often say, “I could never foster because I wouldn’t be able to let them go!” Believe me, I get that. Of the animals that are mine, most are foster fails. But I can, and do, let others go. I’m getting better at it. That doesn’t mean that it gets easier. It never does and it never will. But yesterday I met up with the family who adopted my most recent foster and they were SO happy to take him into their arms. I got to help make that happen. They took him home and sent pictures a few hours later of him cuddling on his very own doggy-couch in a nice fluffy blanket (he loves fluffy blankets.) That’s just as fulfilling. I fall in love with every single animal that I bring into my home and if they need to stay, they stay. But if I’m just a stop on their journey, that’s okay too and I’m grateful to be a part of it.

There’s more that motivates me, although maybe this is a bit more personal. I’ve always been the inadvertent “black sheep” of my family. I’ve always been a very different person. We don’t have many of the same interests or hobbies, and our priorities and values are different. I’m not saying they’re bad people or anything, but we really struggle to relate to each other. We’re just very different. It can often feel disheartening and lonely. But at work, not only do the people that I work alongside share some of the same basic values and interests, but a lot of the people that call us also do as well. It’s just nice to be in the company of a collective purpose and passion. It’s nice to be able to come together and do some good in our own way. It’s nice to be in the company of kindness.

The last reason is loyalty. When people are kind to me and to others, they have my loyalty. Loyalty is a HUGE part of my personal values and its the main reason that people have been able to hurt me as deeply as they have in the past. For some people, the only loyalty they have is to themselves and to opportunities. I can’t and won’t understand that. Loyalty is important to me, and I give it as much as I expect (or at least, hope for it) in return. My job, my boss, and the people around me who have been kind have my loyalty. It’s that simple.

I’m lucky to be able to do what I do, especially this year. We’ve all worked jobs in the past that are just jobs. We’ve groaned to get out of bed in the morning only to be treated like crap and paid like crap. I definitely put in my “dues” in this area for years and I’m glad now that I can honestly say that even if I won the lottery I wouldn’t want to leave my job. (Mayyybe I’d consider going part time LOL.) But in all seriousness, I’m motivated to go to work because I fit with what I do. As usual I used way too many words and paragraphs to then realize I can sum it all up in that one simple sentence. But that’s me, I’m a wordy girl. And that’s okay with me.