“You’re not the boss of me!”
It’s National Boss Day, a day that for many people ranks somewhere below “National Mother-in-Law Day,” or “National Convicted Felon Day,” given how less than wonderful most many bosses are. I say this as someone who, when I worked for a certain network, had a boss who once seriously called IT to complain that he couldn’t access his regular porn websites. At work. When he got married to a mail-order bride, another colleague asked, hopefully, “Think she’ll kill him?” So far, she hasn’t, but revenge is a dish best served cold, they say. Oh, you have to laugh at that nonsense, because otherwise, the cats and I would be in the YentaBunker, stockpiling cans of beans and kitty litter and skimming The Turner Diaries.
But here’s my point: If you really want to succeed in this day and age, you have to understand that every day is National Boss Day and that you’re the boss of you. As a kid, one of my favorite things to tell my mother was that she was not the boss of me. Apparently, by the age of 5, I had self-emancipated. Also, apparently, the only reason my mom didn’t sell me to the gypsies was that the gypsies felt they had enough stress in their lives.
But my five year-old self was right in thinking that she was the only boss of herself. You’re responsible for organizing your life so as to achieve your greatest potential. You’re responsible for getting out of your own way, and taking responsibility so you can start to create the opportunities you need to achieve your success. In that sense, you had damn well better be your own boss, because no one else will ever care as much.
In this increasingly entrepreneurial nation, it’s up to all of us to create what we want…and yet so many people refuse to believe they’re worth it. It truly drives me crazy to see people get so bent out of shape about the last episode of some TV show, or sports teams, as they do everything possible to ignore the frustrations of their own lives. It’s like, when does their time start? When do they start to matter to themselves?? A great many people are their own worst boss, giving themselves no motivation nor support, but expecting miracles. Good luck with that.
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to have even one good boss, you’ll know that they’re fun, inspiring, and forgiving. You’ll know that they recognize talent when they see it, and they help you to succeed because your success is good for the company. I had one amazing boss in my 20s at CNN–Hi, John Towriss!–and because I was 23 and an asshole, I kind of took him for granted, assuming that all bosses were this lovely. That sound you hear is me laughing, bitterly, and choking on my bile. The words “TV news” and “good management” go together as naturally as “Tim Tebow,” and “vagina.” Anyways, fast forward through 8 years of the trenches of TV news, so yes, when I reconnected with John on Facebook, one of the first things I did was email him to say how grateful, in hindsight, I was for his exceptional generosity and all-around high character.
So, listen, it’s National Boss Day, and before it ends, think about taking back your own power and realizing that every day is, in a sense, National Boss Day and promise to be a better boss to yourself. Promise to address your issues, to work on motivating yourself, to allow yourself to succeed. Promise to embrace your potential and nurture it the way a great boss would, instead of suffocating it with doubt, fear and unrealistic expectations.
Why don’t you use today as an opportunity to think of yourself as your own boss, and then understand how exciting your future could be? When I was 5, I wanted my mother to know that she wasn’t the boss of me. Now, as an adult(?), I’m so happy to be my own boss. (And yes, Mrs. Zimmerman was an exceptionally patient mother, I was a very lucky kid!)
Want some help unleashing your powerful inner boss? Of course you do! Become a fan of my business Facebook page, “Carlotaworldwide Creativity Yenta,” for a free consultation, and email me at carlotazee@gmail.com.
Besos,
C.