Are You a Gruntled Employee?

CBN.com – In a recent episode of The Office, Michael was explaining an altercation and blurted out a line that’s making its way around the Internet:

"It was a crime of passion, Jan, not a disgruntled employee. Everyone here is gruntled."

The dictionary tells us “disgruntled” means displeased and discontented; sulky; peevish. So if you are “gruntled,” you should be pleased and contented. But somehow that word just doesn’t sound pleased and contented.

What about at your office? Is everyone there “gruntled?” If we look at antonyms for many other similar words, they are easy to understand: discontented, dissatisfied, displeased, discouraged. The opposite of any of these is pretty obvious. But what does it mean if you are the opposite of “disgruntled?”

I trust you have a more pleasing description of your work than just being “gruntled.” I hope you’re happy, fulfilled, thriving, radiant, and prosperous.

Still looking for working that is fulfilling?

Discouraged Workers

Unfortunately, not only do we have “disgruntled workers” in the workplace, we also have “discouraged workers” who are out of work and are not even looking any more. Every quarter the US Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles the employment figures. One of those calculations is for what they actually call “discouraged workers.” These are individuals who wanted and were available for work during the last 12 months. But they are no longer counted as unemployed because they have not searched for work in the last 4 weeks. By their calculations, in the first quarter of this year, there are 381,000 “discouraged workers.”

I certainly hope that if you were counted in that group, it’s because you’ve come up with a killer idea to be in business for yourself. You’ve decided you no longer want to be an employee and have transitioned into the ranks of the “free agents.” You’re just so excited you forgot to inform the Bureau of Labor Statistics to officially take you off the unemployment list.

I would hate to think that anyone reading this newsletter was really in the position of wanting to work but were so discouraged that they had not looked in the last 4 weeks.

Here’s the classic little book, Acres of Diamonds: It’s free, you can just open and read it. Maybe you'll find your great idea here:

Acres of Diamonds

Never Say It Can't be Done

Here’s a great article by my radio show co-host, Tim Knox. It describes a guy in Africa who started an accidental business using only his cell phone. It confirms again the idea that there are new opportunities all around us – but we have to have the eyes to see them.

The real act of discovery is not in finding new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.
— Marcel Proust

Read the article by Tim Knox

I Love Auctions and Making Money

I am always scanning auctions for interesting deals. Here’s one this week: Auto Shop Auction,
a complete automobile customization shop liquidation. One time years ago I bought an entire body shop for $4000. The owner wanted out and rather than piecemeal his equipment, I offered him a total price, which he accepted. I think we spent three days hauling stuff out of there. But then I cleaned up a couple major pieces, quickly recaptured my $4000 investment and then went on to sell about another $6000 in merchandise, plus kept an enormous amount of tools for my own auto accessories business.

Here’s another auction: Coke Collection. They’ll be selling thousands of Coca-Cola collectibles. This is the kind of thing where someone will have a chance to buy big quantities of a well-known brand memorabilia and can then sell them one at a time on eBay. It’s the old principle of buying a bushel of 100 apples for $8.00 and then selling them one at a time for $.25 each.

These are just a couple of examples of how a little ingenuity can unlock a new opportunity for anyone.

Still looking for your idea? Check out 48 Days to Creative Income

“The cars that are still in the parking lot at 7:00 PM are seldom the corporate heroes. More likely, they’re unorganized, ineffective managers who simply can’t get the job done in a timely manner.” — Randall Tobias, CEO of Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals

“It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?” —

Dan Miller is the bestselling author of 48 Days To The Work You Love and a renowned Life Coach specializing in career fulfillment. His weekly newsletter reaches 70,000 subscribers. Dan’s articles are featured here at CBN every Tuesday, and you can find out more about Dan at www.48days.com.