Changing Our Narrative
By: MeShonya Wren-Coleman, Ph.D.
Growing up, I remember my grandparents getting up when the roosters crowed and going to bed just when the sun was about to set. Their days were long, and depending on what season it was on the farm, sometimes their nights were even longer. Seeing those two individuals valuing the purpose of a good day of hard work made everything you had earned appreciated. According to the King James Bible, 2 Thessalonians 3:10 tells us, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” Being raised on a farm puts truth to that scripture.
My grandparents were farmers and from those fields and gardens, we were able to eat what is now called organic food. That’s funny to me. But, doing the work around the farm was a family affair. I can recall gathering eggs from the chicken coop, putting seeds in the holes my grandmother dug with the hoe, shelling peas, shucking corn and churning butter. Not knowing it at the time, I was “putting in work” that would be instilled in me for a lifetime.
There is a noun version and a verb version of the word “work”. Let’s focus on the verb version which defines work this way: to perform work or fulfill duties regularly for wages or salary. In my line of work, there are no set hours I will have to work on a weekly and daily basis. It’s higher education and that’s the name of the game. And I love it!
It baffles me how individuals take “putting in work” for granted as if they do not need a roof over their heads, clothes on their bodies and food to eat (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Basic Needs). Especially if you have a family to provide for in this “Don’t Have” and “No Mercy” economically strenuous country. Parents, it’s our job to teach our kids how to “put in work” and not allow them to think that they are entitled to anything besides the air God has chosen to bless them with daily. I have watched young adults start and quit jobs who dare to do so with very little work experience and/or little education beyond a high school diploma.
When I got my first job as a telemarketer, I held on to it for dear life, not because I didn’t think I could do any better, but because I was taught that you don’t quit a job without having another one to replace it. Another job as a teenager at McDonald’s taught me about time management, customer service skills, and taking pride in my work ethic. There were days I dreaded going, but there wasn’t a day I didn’t show up if I was scheduled to be on the clock. Being dependable and accountable was something I saw with my grandparents and that was instilled in me. I’m sorry, so many have missed the value of that small lesson learned and not taught.
As a supervisor, I often observe and identify skills staff members have and categorize them as weak or strong. Many times, adults show a feeling of entitlement and become comfortable with not “putting in work” but take advantage of systems that were put in place to honestly help the less fortunate. When you give them an inch, they will surely take a mile to avoid more work, and yet, want more compensation. It’s these individuals who make it hard for those “putting in work” folks to get ahead. You have figured out ways to lie, cheat, manipulate, and connive your way into roles, positions, and unearned titles without “putting in work.”
There has been one theme in my office for over ten years and it simply says, “Dream.” This theme wasn’t just for my students, but a daily reminder for me as well. I had big dreams as a kid and as an adult, I couldn’t give up on them. I didn’t want my daughters to give up on their dreams, and I didn’t want all those who visited my office to give up on their dreams. None of these dreams can come to pass without putting in the work to make it all a reality. Getting the degree, learning all there is about your passion, getting up early and staying up late, being the first one in the office, sometimes the last to leave, and networking with resources help you fulfill that dream. You must “put in the work”. Colin Powell says, “A dream does not become reality through magic, it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” I couldn’t have said it better. So many are sleepwalking in the fairy-tale land of Disney World.
As I show up daily for work looking for ways to make the lives of my students better and impact them with meaningful nuggets to encourage them to dream and put in the work, there is always that little whisper in my ear that’s telling me there are more roads for you to travel, you can’t get tired, you have to keep showing up, and you can’t stop “putting in the work!”
