Four Years And I Never Had A Position

Four years and I never had a position.

When you step into the corporate world, it is imperative for most of the people to aim for the highest position possible; otherwise, there is no sense. It's their purpose.

But not for me. Four years ago, my mother told me, "You graduated BS Psychology and you wanted to be a Starbucks Barista?" I said yes, because I think they're happy.

Four years ago and I was never wrong. I told her I don't want to spend 9, 10, 11 hours or the whole day at the office facing the computer talking to no one, working nonstop, and going home complain about my boss. It's a waste of time.

I want to work in a place where happiness is a big deal. Where my happiness matters. Where I matter. Of course, it was different when my eyes were still in front of the counter trying to figure out what to order. I see the green aprons, breathtaking interiors. I smell good coffee and I hear genuine laughter and conversations. And the moment when it was my turn to wear the green apron, it was the dirty ashtrays, tons of dishes, mopping the floor with spilled frappuccinos from a spoiled kid... early mornings after endless nights, shared breakfast, eating at the nearest open store at 3 AM before heading home. Turning strangers into regulars, into friends, and turning partners into family.

It wasn't all smiles and butterflies but when you work and spend time with people who accept you for who you are and push you to grow and be the better version of yourself every day, soon you'll realize it's worth it.

It wasn't a job that paid me tons of money, but it gave me a lot of experiences and memories worth remembering. It gave me heart-melting moments. I met angels in a stranger's face. It shared my love from people whom I worked with that soon became my friends, for it was its culture. Humanity.

Starbucks is a company that is not afraid to take risks and chances for its Partners, or "employees" as other companies call it. They value business as much as they value their humanitarian approach. Working in Starbucks fortified my faith in believing that there is always good in other people. I felt empowered, and instead of looking at the problem of the situation, I learned to focus on what I can do, because whether it's good or bad, there is something we can do, and Starbucks teaches its Partners to always do it for the good.

Our stories are what makes us human beings and tonight my story as being a Starbucks Barista has ended and it will always be a chapter in my life I'd always be proud to tell others.

I became a part of a group where no one was afraid to jump for they knew that with every jump the freefall was worthwhile and when my moment came, I heard the crowd scream, screaming out my name. You take the hurt, the pain, the bad, and come out with something good. That's when I realized that the only way you'll know is when you give it your all.

Four years and I never had a position but I owned every second of it. I won lots of friends. I saw places, met beautiful souls, gained respect, and most importantly, I did what I wanted four years ago and I was goddamn happy doing it. Believe me, it was pretty much having it all than just having a position.

It was the footprint that I wanted to leave. At least when I look back, I knew I did something good. I was able to give my best and knew that I meant something to someone and shared with them at least a little bit of happiness.

As human beings, we are wired to climb the top of the hierarchy. It seems to be so important to be in a position above others and to earn more than they do, but no one told us to be happy.

When you reach a certain position where you are capable of sharing happiness, being an inspiration, making an impact on other people's lives, and when you're truly happy working towards the dream or the goal that you are passionate about, that is my definition of success that not even a certain title can put a name into.

I dreamt to be it. I worked, I became, and I owned being a Starbucks Partner. I did it.

To my mentors and leaders,

We finally fell apart. I know we broke each others' hearts somewhere along the story but I never wanted it to be easy because we'll never know that it is worth it if it was. So thank you for taking a chance on me.

To those people who believed in me,

You have the power to make the boy in doubt inside of someone like me disappear. You can lift someone up when they are down. You are my deep inspiration. Thank you.

I don't have a clear vision on where this life will take me next and I really don't want to say goodbye. I am not Sam Smith who's too good at it.

So, Hello Unemployment

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Ex Partner