Tag: work

Finding Joy in Your Work

Have you ever had a job that you didn’t really like? Maybe the job wasn’t terrible, but the boss that you worked for made you dread every moment of being at work? I‘m sure we’ve all been there at some point. When I was in high school, I worked for a large grocery store chain for a short period of time, and I hated every minute of it. From that moment, I used that experience as my metric for if a job was “bad”. After leaving my job there, I went to work for a family friend at a BBQ restaurant. That experience turned out to be just the opposite—it was hands down my favorite job in the world. (If I’m being honest, still one of the questions I ask today on a new job site is, “is this as enjoyable as my time at Whitt’s?”) As silly as it sounds, that became the metric I used for job satisfaction in my early working career in the political world, and then working in an insurance agency.

As time passed by though, I forgot about that little test I used to use. A year into owning my own business, I thought…“this is worse than working at Kroger.” I thought it was going to be “sunshine and rainbows,” but really I was just as miserable as when I worked for someone else. The years leading up to the point of opening my own agency were three years, that in full transparency, were not focused on the plan of God or the purpose God had for my life. The three years that lead to this point where I am today focused on me and my plan. They were focused on accomplishing what Charlie wanted to do; on achieving the things that I desired– money, power, and fame. I was slowly realizing that the endless pursuit of those things wasn’t going to bring me true joy.

The first year of owning my own agency became a very difficult year, both personally and professionally. It was difficult personally because I felt like I was at rock bottom. From the outside though, it looked great. In the political world, I learned how to master the art of making a fake façade, which is exactly what I did for everyone around me. It was difficult professionally because the demands of the business caused me to be crippled by overbearing business expenses and unrealistic expectations to maintain the success of our Agency. On top of that, I was finding no joy in what I was doing. In fact, I became resentful to the company I represented, the agency I created, and the industry I was in. 

If I were to say that I have completely found true joy in running my business, I would be lying. The reason for that though is not because I don’t enjoy it, but rather I know that is not where true joy is found. Joy is not found in material things, or in things that we accomplish; but in living out our purpose. 

Over the last 15 months, God has put me on a journey that I never thought I would be on. As I have leaned into God, I’ve begun to see there is a direct calling on my life and there is a purpose that God has for me. The things I desired have changed too; it’s no longer about money, power, or fame, but instead about wealth, influence, and making Jesus known. (I’ll share more about this in another post.)

If you’re reading this, I hope that you see that no matter where you are on your journey, God has a calling for your life as well. He has called each of us to a specific purpose. I simply ask you to take the next step. For me, it all changed when I adopted Proverbs 16:3 as my verse of the year in 2018, and I released control to God. I encourage each of you to go on that journey for your own life.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” -Proverbs 16:3 

Welcome to Building Brooks

Welcome to Building Brooks! I cannot thank you enough for stopping by my blog site. While it is only in the beginning stages, I have had so much fun using some of my creative side that the mundaneness of everyday life doesn’t allow me to express. I want to invite you on this journey with me, and allow it to be a space where you can laugh, enjoy, think, grow, move and be inspired to build up yourself and others. 

At this point you are probably asking,  “Ok, Charlie…but why in the world a blog?” Well… that is the same question I asked myself at first. After some serious time of reflection, I realized that over the last decade I have had the opportunity to work in several different professional fields engaging with people from all walks of life. What I’ve come to learn from my experience is that people need to be built up. I chose the name “Building Brooks” because over the last few years it has become evident that God is building up something inside of me far more important than just running my own business. For me, God has been revealing Himself in ways that are beginning to show His true purpose for me is MUCH larger. I firmly believe that I am not unique in this. I believe that if we surrender to God and begin to lean into him, He will reveal His “master plan” for each of our lives. What I have learned is that this process is much like building a house; there are plan changes, rainy days that cause delays, and failed inspections all leading to a finished product.

My hope for Building Brooks is to share content that is both useful and inspiring. The topics we cover will be wide ranging—from business concepts to stepping out in faith and being obedient to God’s calling, from my journey of becoming a husband to Tennessee football and everything in between. My goal is to share a post every other week or so. 

If I’ve still got your attention at this point, that’s a good thing, thanks! From week to week and topic to topic, serious to light-hearted, I hope you find value and encouragement in my words. The final thing I ask is that if something speaks to you, please share the post or drop a comment in the box below. Grab your hard hat, because together we will be “Building Brooks.”