My Job! How do I love you? Let me count the ways.

?The month of February means one thing: love! Valentine’s Day gives people everywhere the opportunity to celebrate all the love they have in their lives. But it’s not just family and friends who can bring love to our lives; what about the one place where many Americans spend most of their days? Wouldn’t it be great if you felt just as sentimental toward your job as you did toward someone you love?

?In the 1960s, my mother, who had never finished grade school, worked on a factory assembly line; however, every day, she dressed as though she worked in the executive suite. One day, I asked her why she dressed up and seemingly liked a job others might judge as dull and repetitive; she said, "If you hate the job you have, you’ll never get the one you love." She was eventually promoted several times into management positions.?

As the philosopher Marcus Aurelius said, “No role is so well suited to learning as the one you’re in right now.” Know that no matter your role, it probably won’t be your last. Even if you stay in a job for years, it will change based on shifting markets, customers, and expectations. Appreciate all the growth you get wherever you are, and use it to ready yourself for the next step of achievement in your current role or advancement to the next step.

A myth of job happiness is that if you’re not always happy, you’re doing something wrong or in the wrong job. This isn’t true. There will always be more you want. This is part of the human condition. But don’t let unfulfilled desires be a barrier to happiness. I have a personal theory that when you’re younger, you chase the money; as you age, you chase job satisfaction and work-life balance. As Steve Jobs famously said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.”

Many workers start a new job just like a new romance—with excitement and energy! After all, something drew you to apply for the role. But after some time, that enthusiasm may slip, and you may start feeling the effects in other areas of your life. Let’s face it: Everything seems to improve after a great day at work. It improves our outlook, our positivity, our relationships, and maybe even our sleep. So, what if every day was a good day at work? For people in love with their jobs, that may happen!