dignity and initiative (avoiding being bossed around)

I started reading The Hidden Wound by Wendell Berry, and it's been fascinating. One statement in the beginning chapters has been a key to me in opening up new doors of understanding. Berry is describing a man, Nick, who worked for Berry's grandfather when Berry was a child. Berry says of Nick, "When there was work to be done, he did it dependably and steadily and well, and thus escaped the indignity of being bossed." I suddenly realized that if one doesn't want to feel controlled, one should do the work that needs to be done before being told to do it. That way, one is acting rather than being acted upon, and therefore feeling the benefits that come from taking initiative, rather than feeling resentful because one is being forced to do something. If there is work to be done, choosing to do it before being compelled to do it strengthens one's self-control while doing wonders for one's reputation as a 'dependable and steady' worker.
Berry also says about Nick, "In my memory of him, and I think in fact, he was possessed of a considerable dignity. I think this was because there was a very conscious peace and faithfulness that he had made between himself and his lot." This statement is similar to Alma 29:6, where Alma, after desiring a different work than that to which he was called, says, "Now, seeing that I know these things [the Lord giveth unto men according to their desires, whether they desireth good or evil], why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called?" Both statements allow for ambition and agency while still allowing one to make peace with one's situation.