Work. It is a necessary part of life. We get jobs to work so that we can make the money we need to live. Sometimes, the jobs we get aren't the best jobs; they are what we can get at the time or what we need to get by. Sometimes, the jobs we get are boring, or difficult, or even stressful. But sometimes, the jobs we get hardly feel like "work" at all.

Here are some of the things that make our jobs feel a little less like work.

1. The Environment

Who you work for makes all of the difference in the world. When you have a boss that is overly demanding, lacks understanding, or yells at you every time you make a mistake, that makes your job a lot less enjoyable. But when you have a boss who is patient, understanding, and willing to work right alongside his/her employees, it makes your job a lot easier and your day a lot smoother. I might be slightly bias, but I have to say that from experience, I know the positive difference a great boss can make in the entire view of your job. #mybossismanageroftheyear.

3. Your Coworkers

(Just a few of my wonderful coworkers here. Throwing it way back to "Duck Dynasty Kid's Day" a couple of years ago.)

Having great coworkers makes a huge difference in the way you think of your job. I, personally, have the best coworkers a girl could ask for! We all get along, work well together, and laugh and have a good time (I promise, we are all very productive, too). It's like having a second family.

4. Your Work-Adventures

This largely falls under the "coworker" category, but it is more than that. When you've got great bosses and great coworkers, the work hours seem fun. All of the inside jokes, laughs, and practical jokes make life at my job so exciting. I mean, what could possibly make your night more interesting than getting off work after closing (around 10:00 p.m.) and finding your car in this condition:

My coworkers are my friends. We have a blast while we work and it makes my job that much more enjoyable.

5. Your Customers

You can't pick your customers. Especially when you work in retail, this is often one of the issues that employees face; difficult or rude customers. Not that they are all that way, but some of them can be. Nobody likes getting chewed out over the price of a t-shirt (which, by the way, the sales clerk at the register has no control over) or the fact that the customer can't use their coupon, even though it expired only the day before. I can honestly say that good customers make the work day feel worthwhile. LifeWay has some of the best customers come through the store, and each kind customer makes my job feel useful and appreciated. When customers are kind to employees, it makes the work they do so much more satisfying.

6. Your Value

Sadly, not all companies or organizations truly value their employees, especially those on the lower-levels. If the employee knows they are not valued as a person or worker by their employers, it makes the job a chore. You go to work because you have to, you do what you're told because you have to; but you don't get the chance to do your job because you want to. When employers value their employees, they are telling them that matter and that their job matters. Feeling valued gives people the desire to do well because they know that someone else believes in them.

Let's face it, we may not always be able to have that one job that we love. But there are jobs that make work feel a lot less like "work" and a lot more like living life. I look forward to work because I know that I'm valued, I work with and for amazing people, and in a place where the customers that come in are as much a blessing to me as I hope to be to them.

I love my LifeWay family. I love my job; and I love that my job doesn't feel like "work."