When we look at our day-to-day work life, it is often easy to point out the negative. Meetings that run too long or have unmanageable workloads, with just a little more always being added on. But it is important to focus on the good parts of our work, because while we may not be able to change the situations we find ourselves in, we can change how we react to them. By doing so, we often create an infectious positivity that permeates our professional and personal lives. In my professional life, I am incredibly fortunate to have found the career I am in. I work as a Military University Development Counselor for Grand Canyon University. In this role, I specifically provide Active Duty, Veterans, and their families with resources to navigate the Veterans Affairs Office and find the right degree programs that meet their professional and educational goals. The best part of this job is that it allows me to give back to a community that is near and dear to my heart, and seeing these individuals bettering themselves is infectious and motivates me to be better every day. By far the best

While there are countless other things I enjoy about working for the University, like working from home and 35 paid days off a year (two of which are to volunteer at a charity of my choosing), I would like to highlight how it invests heavily in its culture and training. The culture of positivity and support cannot be understated. For example, in my first 60 days at the University, I identified that active-duty Soldiers were struggling to find a program that checked all the boxes for acceptance into the military's Physician Assistant program. Within a week of bringing it up with my manager, she had arranged a meeting with my division's Vice President to discuss setting up a degree path for these Soldiers. While the results of the meeting are still unknown (sounds promising though), the fact that such a junior employee had a face-to-face with someone so high up in the organization shows that they do care about what their employee think. Continuing on the investment in its employees' initial training, all staff in the organization receive a minimum of 5 weeks and can go up to 120 days, depending on the job. Even after your training is complete, it is mandated that every team complete at least 3 hours of training per week. I have yet to meet someone at the University who isn't willing to teach others and be a mentor.

While I could keep going on other aspects of the job I enjoy, it goes far beyond the scope of this assignment. My experiences at the job can inspire you to find joy in your own career or serve as a reminder about the importance of being positive in the workplace. If your workplace culture is lacking, try making small, positive changes; hopefully, they will become the catalyst for a better culture.