Am I Just Convenient?

A healthy self-image begins with one’s perception that he can perform many tasks, but there are other tasks that will confound him. Among those tasks that one can execute, there will be some which he excels (as an expert), some which he does well, and others that are completed only by the minimum requirements. An individual’s self-image is healthy when he accurately differentiates those tasks which he excels from those which he completes minimally.

At work, often coworkers flatter me with compliments of how well I do one task or another. One such task is refilling the toner in the copy machine. I have accomplished this task several times—each without spilling the toner on the internal parts of the machine, the floor, or myself. People have waited a weekend to ask me to change the toner on Monday! My coworkers also praise my extraordinary strength as they also tell me the water bottle on the cooler in the break room needs to be changed.

My coworkers compliments are very nice—I enjoy them. However, I have come to realize that we go through many bottles of water and I saw an empty toner box near the copier that I did not change. Am I allowing the compliments of my coworkers motivate me to complete the task and do it quickly? I think I have been duped by my coworkers to completing tasks that they need done quickly but are unwilling or unable to perform. I am not the only individual that can perform these tasks—I am just the most convenient!