I was headed out of town early in the morning the other day and I noticed a man tossing a few garbage bags into a dumpster. He was an employee of a twenty-four-hour fast-food joint and I assumed he was getting ready to go home after working the graveyard shift.

It occurred to me as I watched him sling those bags full of garbage into the top of the dumpster, that there are no unimportant jobs. Even though tossing trash into a dumpster at 6:00 a.m. may seem unimportant, it is actually critical to the operation of a restaurant.

Tell me who becomes the most important person in a school when a child gets sick and throws up in the classroom? It isn’t the teacher, or the campus Principal, and it sure isn’t the head football coach. The most important person in the school at that moment, without question, is the person who is going to clean it up. Usually the custodian.

All jobs have value and purpose.

I thought off and on about that man tossing trash for the rest of my day. I couldn’t help but wonder where he was in life. I doubt he was living his dream, but then again maybe he was. Possibly he was starting over in life and getting his feet back underneath him. Maybe he was in some type of transition in life and this job was paying the bills. Who knows? But we all have a story of why we are – where we are – today.

But here is the deal, he was tossing trash into a dumpster at six o’clock in the morning because he was trying. He may not have felt especially important, but I am certain the crew on the shift coming in were glad he did his job, even though they most likely didn’t tell him so.

I wrote a column a few years ago about the fact that we all have a superpower. We all have ability to make others feel ten feet tall. But like any superpower, it must be used at the right time and not abused.

Sincerity is the key to unleashing its power, and offering heartfelt expression when the opportunity presents itself can be life altering.

I have discovered in my sixty years on planet earth that positive influence on others is most meaningful when they least expect it.

Recognizing effort in others is going to make them feel appreciated, noticed, and want to work harder. That really is a superpower.

When I was playing football in high school several decades ago, I had an assignment on the very first play of the game to run out and block the cornerback, that was it, nothing more.

The play was to the other side of the field, so I trotted out and watched the play unfold, completely ignoring the cornerback.

The very next thing I remember was a crushing impact in my left ear hole. My helmet popped off my head like a cork and I hit the turf so hard that it knocked the wind out of me.

I laid on my back for the next few minutes believing I was about to die. I looked up and saw my coach holding my helmet in his hand smiling down at me. He said, “Know your assignment Howey,” and dropped my helmet by my head and walked off.

I had an assignment, and I chose not to do it. I let my guard down and it cost, mostly, a great deal of embarrassment. The coaching staff showed the hit the next morning on the game film. They kept clicking the 8mm film back and forth, showing my helmet leaving my body, and then back on. It was fun to watch, and I learned a valuable lesson.

Always be aware of your surroundings and never let your guard down. That can apply to so many aspects of life. I worked for a man who was always alert and looking for opportunities to build others up.

He is the type of man who would have met that guy tossing trash into the dumpster at the back door telling him how much he appreciated his hard work.

He would have slapped him on the back and said, “Man, you are doing a great job. Thank you.”

He never let his guard down when it came to encouraging others. Whenever he was given the opportunity, he would earhole them with praise.

He didn’t do it all the time, only when the moment was right and when they least expected it.

He did it with sincerity and he meant what he said.

He told me one time that he believed his assignment in life was to be an encouragement to others. He knew his assignment, and he followed through with it.

So, I ask myself, what is my assignment in life? What is it that I do well?

Just like that man tossing trash into the dumpster, you have to put in the effort to get anywhere in life. I know of a few things that I can do better, so it’s really up to me if I want to be a difference maker. I can watch life from across the field or get in the game and execute my assignment.

I am certain that fast food employee won’t be at that job very long, but at least he is trying. My hope is that someone will release their superpower on him and tell him how much they appreciate his effort. There is no telling how bad he may need to hear that. Just a little bit of encouragement can go a long way. We should all be on the lookout for opportunities such as that.

All jobs have purpose and value, but not near as much as the people doing them.

What is your assignment in life?

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Todd Howey is a columnist for BrownwoodNews.com whose articles appear on Fridays. Email comments to [email protected].