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I don’t like going slow. A speeding ticket on the road of life. I get frustrated. I start looking for a fulcome or a target.
Mundane management is not the enemy. I was given this job during a difficult time for many of us. Now, I have health insurance and a healthy respect for a 10 minute break. Labor Day 2025 is a day off for me. I am happy.
Mental freedom. That’s the goal. Release from the physical world of suffering into something more serene. It’s all in my own head. The store will continue just fine long after I’m gone. Yes, many of my genius ideas will not be implemented and the management will continue to slack and jive. That’s not my worry.
I choose not to act at this time. A part of me wants to blast off. The new rocketship of better employment is nearby and being fueled. Until the pilot invites me on the ship, it is just an idea, a dream.
I am here in this moment. Labor Day 2025. Taking a break. Ignoring the time-and-a-half offer. I do not need revenge on the ASL who fired me. I do not need to show anyone how I will be missed. I am aware that I am still pissed about the lack of promotion or any forward motion. I take peace in this moment and reflect on all that I have been given from this job.
That’s all it is. A job.
I am an evolving man. I breathe creativity and joy. The grocery store is a great playground for my moodjacking and standup comedy routines. The store is not a place for me to linger, get bitter, feel unappreciated. I appreciate myself. I constantly appreciate my customers and coworkers. Yesterday, even buddying up with the TL who shunned my advancement. I don’t want to hurt him. He is harmless and unaware of his dullness. I wish for him to be happy in his singular life and tenure in the grocery life.
I appreciate myself and this day of rest. I will make the most of it. I return to the store tomorrow for 4 days in a row. One day off in a sea of 8 hour shifts.
One day at a time I get closer to my next move. I will keep my eye on the horizon while I pay attention to the present moment. I need no approval. The customers are my approval. The banter, the joy, the fun… Even as a cashier.
A major lesson I am still learning: my hyper-joy is not for everyone. Okay. A bit more presence in the room. Learning to be calm and serene occasionally. Even the rocketship needs to refuel.
And rest…
See you at the store after this short break.
[Listen to the Deep Dive explore the concepts of The Happy Cashier.]
The hope I see in others
becomes the hope I have for myself,
my life, and my own journey.
– The Happy Cashier
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