Memes That Can Be Applied to Your Work/Business Life

Everybody loves a good meme, right?

Well who knew that you could learn from them as well?  No, not like learning erroneous “facts” and misinformation, but actually learn life skills that can be applied to your waking life as either an employee or entrepreneur.

Let’s take a look at the five important messages from five different memes below:

1. Honesty IS always the best policy!

I know what you’re thinking… YEAH, OK!  But it really is. If you are in the predicament that this meme clearly shows this gentleman is, you don’t have to lie.  Since preschool, we have heard that it is best to look at the positive in every situation, and while this may be hard to do, it is never impossible. Nothing is impossible. So what do you do if you are in the position that is depicted in the meme?  Be honest, of course!  Think of the positives of your position/company and give an honest smile and a quick remark and then excuse yourself to complete a task that is time sensitive.

For example, “Keyshia, tell Mark how much you love working here in the dung scooping factory!”  You can reply with the following (and a genuine smile):  “Hi Mark, we sure do scoop a lot of dung here but you really realize how amazing the smell of the nearby lavender field is once you’re off premises. I had never noticed that before.  If you all would excuse me though, I have a huge shovel full of dung to scoop into this bin.  Good luck, Mark!”

See.  And you didn’t have to feed a load of sh…, errr, dung, to Mark and your integrity is intact!  Great job, Sis!

2. What’s for you is always for you and what’s not, won’t be. Simple.

Did you get overlooked for that promotion?  Did you not get a job offer despite you crushing the interview?  Did a business loan fall through despite you desperately needing it?  It happens to the best of us.  However, those that stay as positive as possible and seek to learn from what the “rejection” that they experienced taught them, almost always end up in a better position shortly thereafter.  Sometimes, some doors seem open to us only to close as we are at the doorstep.  It may be hard to figure out when to bust that door down, climb through the window or walk to the next home, but the universe and our gut usually will guide the way.

While you may feel like you are standing still, it is only temporary so don’t even trip because it’s better than starting at the beginning.  Every day that you are alive and striving for better is a day that you are better off than when you were at square one.  Sometimes you just have to be still where you are, enjoy the scenery and prepare for your next step to be your best step.

You got this, Sis!

3. Sometimes you gotta get your hands dirty… literally!

It ain’t nothing wrong with a little dirty, hard work!   Don’t wait nor delay because the work will only get dirtier and harder.  Roll up them sleeves of yours, close your eyes, hold your breath, do whatever you have to do but GET IT DONE!  The pay off is almost always worth it.  This can be applied to all aspects of life, but in the workplace or in your own business, you often have the ability to see tangible results of your dirty and hard work.  Plus, everything is temporary.  As long as it isn’t a vat of acid that you’re dipping your hands into or a piranha tank, you should be good, Sis!

4. Don’t be afraid to speak up when something isn’t right.

Whether it is the unfortunate event of you not getting satisfactory service from a company that you paid to help your business or if it is having to complain about unfair procedures and policies at your place of employment; always remember, the squeaky wheel gets oiled.  Don’t be afraid to speak up.  Most companies have whistleblowing protections that you can read in your employment handbooks.  Also, b2b success is predicated upon good reviews and word of mouth.  Therefore, it is imperative that you say your piece in a calm and coherent manner.

Also, make sure that you are clear in what you ask for/purchase (for entrepreneurs) and that your understanding of the procedures and policies is correct (for employees).  This will make your complaint be stronger in its ability to be addressed and blame cannot be turned towards you.

Bonus tips:  write positive reviews for companies.  Usually, the squeaky wheels are all that we hear.  However, it’s ok to be a super gliding wheel that can roll over any terrain as well.  Let people know what they’re doing well and be detailed in why it is important that they did those things that stuck out to you.  It goes a long way.  For those in the employment segment, say thank you to your co-workers. Even if they’re just doing their job.  If you’re always the squeaky wheel people are just going to turn up the radio and drown you out after a while like when our cars are making funny noises but still allowing you to get from point A to point B and back (I don’t do this, you do! Hush!!!).   Showing your gratitude and appreciation for them in small ways makes people more apt to want to address your concerns and view you as a more valuable co-worker and employee.  All of which goes a long way in the scheme of things and is just as important as speaking up for yourself.

5. The early bird gets the worm.

If you’re like me, 4 to 6 hours of sleep per night is within the perfect spectrum.  Somehow, I am both a night owl and an early bird.  This allows me to be extremely productive.  However, not everybody is built like that. It is important that you know what kind of sleep pattern you have and what is the optimum number of hours you need to rest each day in order to perform at your optimal ability.  Our health is our greatest wealth and sleep is a major component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We need rest mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally but it is such a thing as too much or too little sleep.

Once you figure out your sleep pattern and the correct amount of hours of sleep you need to crush your every day life, set your alarm clock to wake you up an hour earlier than you absolutely have to wake up in order to not rush your body from a sleeping state to a waking and alert state.  Having that extra hour (don’t hit the snooze button neither, Sis!) will have you feeling extra enthusiastic to take on the day, whether you work from home or whatever the atmosphere that you are employed.

Let’s break down a sample day for the average adult between 30 and 45 years old.  This person most likely needs between 6 and 8 hours of sleep as is generally recommended by many different doctors (you can look this up, by the way).  For the purposes of this sample day we will use 7 hours of sleep as the barometer.  We will also use a standard 9-5 workday and a one hour commute each way. This means that the sample person will have to be at work no later than 8:59am and therefore must leave their home no later than 7:59am (you’re a daredevil if you live this close to the wire but let’s just indulge for argument’s sake). It takes the average single woman in the United States about a half hour to get ready for work in the morning (https://today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2012/07/10/morning-routine-30-spend-over-week-getting-ready-e).  Taking all of this into account, the sample day would look like so:

6:00am- Wake up
6:05am- Start 30 min fasted workout (the best)
6:40am- Workout and cool down done
6:45am- Shower (some brush their teeth at this time as well)
7:00am- Out of shower, getting dressed
7:30am- Should be dressed and ready
7:35am- Quick bite for breakfast (fruit, bagel, cereal, meal replacement shake)
7:45am- Final check make sure you’re all set for work (some will brush teeth here as well)
7:55am- You should be out your door and on your commute (I know I said 7:59am but I can’t but it so close, IDK how you folk that do, do that. I’d have eaten much faster as well but I digress)
8:59am- You’re ready to clock in
9:00am to 5:00pm- Great job! You got through your day!
6:00pm- You arrive at the gym for an hour workout or run some errands or go to happy hour or go home and relax for an hour to just breathe and be a human (whichever you do)
7:00pm-  Dinner and then a long shower is deserved. But be smart about water conservation too (Blaq Gurl Moves loves environmentalism!)
8:00pm to 10:30pm- Bathing and self-care is all done.  Now it’s time to do whatever extra work you may have or read a book or catch up on your shows/family/friends
10:45pm- Cut all electronics and lights off. Phones and laptops too. This aids your body into slipping into its natural circadian rhythm which helps you have a more restful slumber
11:00pm- You should be sleep in a restful slumber and prepared to have an amazing day tomorrow!

So yeah, don’t be like the cat in this meme.  The proper rest that is optimal for your individual overall performance is crucial to your success.  Don’t skimp on it and try your best to stick to your usual sleep patterns.  Our bodies are fine tuned machines that become accustomed to routine and that routine may create the order in your life that you need to function at your best level.

There are lessons in life everywhere we look, knowledge is not only learned from a book.  The next time someone asks you what did you learn from a meme, you can actually show them that you learned some vital life information!

Until next time, Sis!