Love What You Do and Who You Do it With

People, people, get your minds out of the gutter.

Last night, I went out for Mexican (and margaritas) to celebrate one of our amazing teachers, Courtney, who is relocating to embark on a new adventure with her husband.

Hey, remember that time I cut out sugar?

I always get sad having to say “see you later” to a coworker, especially when the coworker is also a friend. And then I started to think… The majority of the people who have become some of my greatest friends over the years were my coworkers. I’ve been lucky enough (for the most part) to always work with really awesome people. This has often made my jobs not always feel like work…and when it did feel like work, the people I was surrounded by always made it so much better.

Currently, at the two Pure Barre studios that I work at (right outside of Charlotte, NC) there are thirteen lovely ladies that I get to call my coworkers.

It’s rare to get ALL 14 of us together at once – woohoo!

These thirteen women are so much more than coworkers – they are more like family. And here are a dozen reasons why I’m so happy to have them in my life:

P  Passionate.. about teaching and everything that they do.
U  Understanding.. there to lend an ear or two..or shoulder to cry on.
R  Reliable.. they’re always there when you need them.
E  Energetic.. when you’re having “one of those days” and need a boost.

B  Beautiful.. both inside and out.
A  Above Average.. in everything that they do.
R  Reassuring.. that everything is going to be alright.
R  Resourceful.. hey, because LIFE happens sometimes.
E  Eager.. to share their stories and listen to yours.

L  Lovable.. all day, everyday.
K  Kind hearted.. is there a mean bone in any of them?!
N  Necessary.. in MY life and in the lives of so many others.

Well, well, well.. wouldn’t my fifth grade teacher be proud?

Amanda, Belinda, Courtney, Frances, Jamie, Jenna, Jeri, Julie, Kate, Katie, Michelle, Stephanie, and Vanessa – I love you all!

And before I go, here’s four of my favorite quotes about loving what you do:

“Never continue in a job you don’t enjoy. If you’re happy in what you’re doing, you’ll like yourself, you’ll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined.” – Johnny Carson

“The people who make it to the top – whether they’re musicians, or great chefs, or corporate honchos – are addicted to their calling … [they] are the ones who’d be doing whatever it is they love, even if they weren’t being paid.” – Quincy Jones

“There comes a time when you ought to start doing what you want. Take a job that you love. You will jump out of bed in the morning. I think you are out of your mind if you keep taking jobs that you don’t like because you think it will look good on your resume. Isn’t that a little like saving up sex for your old age?” – Warren Buffet

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” – Maya Angelou

What about you? Have you had coworkers turn into friends? Do you love your job? If not, what do you need to do get to where you do love your job and the people that you work with?