A man friend of mine once said the best way to get through a relationship with a man was to have no expectations of him. Wait, hold up? Say what? Yes, I pondered that for about a nano-second, and then realized that is what HE expects from his relationships, and frankly, how selfish is that? How can you be in any type of relationship and not have expectations? I would expect my spouse to be kind, thoughtful, faithful, loving, and respectful, etc…or why get married?
Now when it comes to work as a personal assistant, there are some areas where it is best to have no expectations. You see it is easy to get used to being around fame and fortune. The private jets, the 5-star hotels, the amazing bonus checks, trips to Hawaii, brand new iPhones or Chanel hand-me-downs are all things I’ve been lucky enough to experience regularly. I have also been given a car, a necklace from Van Cleef and Arpels, whole gift baskets from the Academy Awards (yes the ones valued at ridiculous amounts) and so much more.
But to expect gifts, to expect a monetary bonus when you are already paid for your work, to expect to always fly first class, for example, is a recipe for disaster. After all, you agreed to work for a price, perform those services, and get paid. Anything extra is gravy! So I tell you, don’t expect the perks, you’ll be so much more grateful for them when they come and will not have animosity when you don’t get something that was never promised in the first place. What you should expect from a client/employer is to be treated with respect, appreciated for your expertise, and to be willing to work towards mutual trust.
The real lesson is to enjoy the experience and take from it what you will want to manifest for yourself. There are very few people who get to intimately witness firsthand how the very wealthy live so to be able to experience it and learn from it, is a very “rich” experience. Very few people go to work in sprawling estates. I know it’s not all bells and whistles. I was 9 months pregnant with my 3rd child and had to walk a four-story 20,000 square foot residence during a construction I was managing. I hated it then. I appreciate it now for what I learned about the process of building an estate from scratch. And while I’m on the subject of those with extreme wealth, it may surprise other assistants to know that there is not one person I have ever worked for that I would change places with. Don’t get me wrong; I work to build a residual income stream so I can have the luxury of time that financial freedom brings. But I have seen and experienced that while money dissolves a whole lot of problems, it also brings a different set of challenges with it. Like everything in life, enjoy the experience and opportunity and learn all you can.
Sue McGaughey says it best in this link: http://uflifestyle.com/2012/10/08/living-a-rich-life/
