This summer, I had the great opportunity to be employed at my college and earn some valuable experience, skills and—of course—money.

The job I held was a completely different position than I’d ever had: a nine to five, business-attire-required, smile-politely-even-when-a-customer-is-arguing desk job. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this type of job, but I was surprised to find that even though a lot of the components seemed contrary to my personality, I actually enjoyed most parts.

There was, however, one part of my job that I hated since I learned how to use technology: making phone calls. Stick me in a back cubicle, and I will file, organize, categorize and input data like it’s my purpose in life. Place me at the front desk, and I will smile, directing confused students and nodding politely as I answer their questions like my alter ego is Pam Beesly. I will happily compose eloquent emails about deadlines, research missing information for incomplete spreadsheets and create Google forms to streamline reports.

However, speaking over the phone is what I have always dreaded. Poor connections, muffled voices and mispronounced names are nightmares. I am still trying to love my voice, but speaking on the phone is not something with which I am completely comfortable.

Despite my frustration, the fact remained that conversing over the phone was a huge part of my job—at some points, my only objective was to call a list of names and tell them what they needed to submit. Clearly, since I am not unemployed, I gritted my teeth and picked up the phone every time I was told.

Lo and behold, I actually learned a few life lessons through my discomfort. (Isn’t it funny how that happens?) Here are the 5 life lessons I learned from talking on the phone:

1. Annoyance is mostly situational, not personal.

I would call people to remind them about submitting a document or to confirm some missing information, and a good portion of the time, it was apparently the most inconvenient thing that could have happened in their day. I could hear their eye rolls over the phone. Even in their words, they were sharp with frustration, but they were not frustrated with me... I was just the messenger.

Whenever someone is annoyed and starts taking it out on you, step back and remember that who you are as a person is not the reason for their annoyance. There is usually an underlying issue that you may not immediately recognizable.

2. People do not think about me as much as I think they do.

I am such a people-pleaser that I get anxious if I feel people are even thinking badly of me. In the beginning of my job, after hanging up from every phone call, I would sit there and worry what the person on the other end was thinking of me—that freaking annoying girl from the college just called again...

I slowly realized that my phone call was not going to cause them to think about me for the rest of their day. We tend to spend more time worrying about what other people think of us than they spend even thinking about us.

(Disclaimer: I am not saying that we are not important in other peoples' lives. In this context, I am using "think about" to mean "criticize, scrutinize, judge or dwell on flaws," especially done by people not close to us.)

3. What needs to get done is usually greater than how I want to feel.

When I called someone, it was because there was important information that needed to be relayed as quickly as possible. If the phone calls were not made, people would not have been aware of crucial financial or academic forms, which could have complicated acceptance into college or lost financial aid. I had to put aside my discomfort in talking on the phone to help contribute to a greater good.

4. To get something done, I don’t have to be good at it—just capable.

I will straight up admit that I am not the best phone-caller in the world. I stutter, forget words and probably don't sound super excited to be talking. I often compared my "phone presence" to how my co-workers sounded when they were talking on the phone, and I would be embarrassed with how I sounded.

I do have two hands—I can dial numbers and physically hold a phone up to my ear. I know what needs to be relayed, and I have a voice. Therefore, I am capable of speaking on the phone.

What are you capable of that you need to be reminded you can do?

5. It is not my job to make people happy.

My job description was to manage data, relay important information and make sure everything was running efficiently in a timely manner. If I completed those objectives to the best of my ability while being polite and courteous and people were still upset, I had to learn that it was not my problem.

Learning that other people's problems are not my problems is very, very important and relevant to the rest of my life. I am often in positions where people do not agree with me or are not enjoying themselves. I tend to take this personally and try to make them happy, sometimes by compromising my values or my views. That is not right.

Yes, it is good to care about people being happy. So, be polite, be encouraging, be helpful, be sympathetic, be available... Also, understand that happiness and contentment are personal choices, and you must know where to draw the line between sacrificing for someone and compromising yourself for someone.

At the end of it all, I still don't like talking on the phone. However, by doing something that pushed me out of my comfort zone almost all summer long, I was forced to learn a few lessons about life and myself. Try doing something out of your comfort zone and see what life lessons you learn!