“Nails, Glass, Tomato Sauce…Whatever You Got!”

Growing up in Washington, DC, I was always intrigued by the garbage men who raced up and down our alleys.  Most mornings, I woke to the frantic rumblings of the garbage truck and the thumping and dragging of Super Cans across the concrete.  My parents recognized the importance of treating the garbage men with respect.  They made it a point to tip them at Christmas and write “warning” notes if we had glass or some other hazardous element in that week’s trash.  I always vowed to do the same.

So this week, I was hauling our trash cans up the driveway when I noticed a piece of our old fence had broken off.  It was weathered and splintered, with rusty nails protruding from each side.  I carefully picked it up and loaded it in with the other trash.

I starting walking back inside to write a note when I heard the garbage truck coming down the street.  It was too late to write the note, so I carefully picked the piece of fence out of the trash and waited for our turn.   Finally, the truck pulled in front of our house and I awkwardly extended my arm toward the garbage man.

“Here you go.  This has nails coming out on all sides.  Just wanted to let you know.”

He gave me a look that I often get from my teenage daughters.  The classic “Child, please!”

“Nails. Glass. Tomato Sauce. Whatever you got. This is what I do!”

He smiled as wide as the ocean.  And with that, he ripped the old piece of fence from my hands, tucked it under his arm like a charging fullback, and hurled it into the truck.  Gone.

And I was left standing there in awe and full of questions.  First, how many of us take that much pride in our jobs?  But, perhaps more importantly, how many of us are willing to sort through the nails, glass and tomato sauce in our work and personal lives in order to get the job done?

The Little Things Matter

In our work lives, we can’t expect immediate results.  Success is often born from struggle and tedium.  Major clients start with small commissions and menial tasks.  Profitable companies start with major debt and a lot of stress.  Dynasties start with executing on the smaller, laborious tasks.  We can’t get to the corner office without keeping the faith in the cube.  We have to wade through the nails, glass and tomato sauce before we can get to the good stuff.

And the same is true in our personal lives.  Our relationships are not always about lavish celebrations and moonlit walks.  Sometimes, we have to pay the bills or clean the dishes.  Our children are not just going to turn into perfect little adults.  Sometimes, we have to instill discipline and tough love.  Our finances are not just going to magically accumulate.  Sometimes, we have to cut the cable bill or give up something we love.  We have to be willing to do the little things right in order to get to the big payoff.

We Have to Keep the Faith

But what happens when it seems the payoff isn’t coming?  What happens when the nails and glass cut deep?  We do the little things with pride but are still spinning our wheels.  Our clients leave us.  Our company stays in the red.  We linger in the cube.  Our children make mistakes.  Our finances take a nosedive.  Suddenly, we can’t see anything positive on the other side.

Why continue to wade through the trash?  Why take pride in the menial tasks?  It all just seems so pointless.  Once we listen to these voices, it is a slippery slope to mediocrity.  If we throw in the towel once, it becomes so much easier to do it the second time.  Then it becomes a habit.  And before we know it, we are swimming in the trash.  Apathy and resignation will snuff out our resilience.

But these moments of doubt and crisis are the times we need to double down!  The very act of concentrating on the task at hand fuels our resilience. We have to believe the unglamorous tasks and grind are stepping stones to something greater.  We have to stay focused on the bigger picture.   We have to keep the faith.

Bring It On!

The garbage man in my neighborhood takes pride in everything he does.  He knows he has to do the little things right.  And no amount of nails, glass or tomato sauce will distract him from the task at hand.

And so it is with all of us.  If we can keep channeling our inner garbage man, tomorrow will be a better day.  We can handle anything life throws at us.  Whatever you got.  This is what we do!