A215 Exercise 5.2

Jeremy was born to audit. His birthday was auspicious, 28^th of August 1961. A Virgo and an Ox. Detail loving and meticulous.

He started off in accounts, and that was fine for a while, but he needed to branch out. The numbers were too fleeting and the breadth of tasks was too constricting. So he made a list. He made a list and discovered that he loved it. A checklist freshly ticked. A procedure walked through. Checking it was done. Checking it was done right. Checking it was done right and the evidence to prove that was safely filed .

He loved his new job. He sat at his desk, smiling. He went to meetings, whistling. In his head he danced like Gene Kelly in the rain. His heart glowed with pride at the end of a project.

He enjoyed his work to an infectious degree. He audited without prejudice or malice. People liked him. He inspired them. He took such obvious joy in checking that they’d done it right that they did do it right just to see him smile. Sometimes they asked him what he was on. Sometimes they asked him if they could get some from their Doctors too. He’d just smile indulgently and ask them if they enjoyed their jobs. Not normally replied some, not ever replied others.

“Well I do”, replied Jeremy “and that’s the heart of it. Find something you enjoy doing and you’ll do it well”

But not everyone is as lucky as Jeremy, not everyone has the same auspicious start. Some of us just have to muddle through and make the best of what fate brings.