Motivational Leadership Speaker, Bestselling Oprah Author

I talked with a woman today who complained that she simply cannot stand her job for another minute. I can understand that, because I once had a job like that. I quit after seven weeks. No point in suffering like that when life is short, right?

Well, things have changed a bit since I decided to quit that miserable job. Back then, there weren’t a million people clamoring for every available opening. Today, there are. You can’t be too cavalier about the value of your employment, even when your job sucks.  This is the year to kiss your paycheck (even if you think you are ridiculously underpaid), be grateful for your boss (even if he or she is hopelessly incompetent) and just thank the heavens that you have something when so many people now have nothing.

Many of you will be surprised to hear me say this because I have always said that you should take risks so you can do what you love, because it will be easier for you to succeed. I still believe that. I still think you should keep your eyes open for opportunities and create new success wherever you can. I just don’t think this is a great time to jump into the unknown when you don’t have somewhere to land. Right now, make peace with what little security you can find and ride out this thunderstorm.

I know someone who took a buyout from a tech job and became a middle school teacher. She finds the experience excruciating, but she knows she is in no position to be picky about what she is doing. Others who took buyouts when she did have still not found work, so even though her job sucks — it’s a job.

If you aren’t real happy with your work life, hang in there. We’ll get past these hard times and you will find more of what you are looking for. In the meantime, keep this list of points handy when you start hating what you are doing:

• You aren’t going to have to stay there forever.
• It’s only a job. It is not your life.
• It sure beats worrying about whether you will wind up losing everything you have .
• You can handle anything if you take it one minute at a time.
• There are at least a thousand people who would love your crummy job.

If you really want out, you can look for other opportunities while maintaining employment. But, go slow. I still believe the magic is in the risk-taking, but now more than ever, fortify your risks. And, while you wait, kiss that sweet paycheck for as long as you’ve got it.