What happened to the idea of having a vocation? Something that you did for a living not just because you needed to pay the bills, but because you enjoyed it? It's become a somewhat antiquated idea these days, which is actually a real shame.
How many times have you heard someone say 'I hate my job' - in fact, how many times have you said it yourself? I read an article a couple of months ago about employment in the UK, and the statistics were shocking. I can't quote it exactly, having thrown it away in disgust, but something like 70% of people are dissatisfied with their jobs and looking for new ones on their employers time - and 10% of people actually start looking for a new job the day that they start with a new employer.
It's quite tragic really.
We all work to live: we work because we have bills to pay, we work because we need to eat, and we work because we need to keep ourselves in the lifestyles to which we've become accustomed.
Although living to work is an outdated concept, is there anything really wrong with it?
Personally I don't see why we can't have jobs that we can look forward to. Having recently started working for myself, in my chosen field, I relish waking up in the morning knowing that I'm going to have a pleasant day doing something that I enjoy, and getting paid for it to boot. I'm still quite young, but already I've decided that I don't want to spend the next twenty or thirty years stuck working for other people and dreading going to work. I know others, older than myself, who dislike their jobs, who get that sinking feeling when they wake up in the morning - but these are intelligent people, can it really be that difficult to figure out what you want to do in order to be happy?
I think it's fear. People are afraid of being out of work, they're afraid of not having any money. They're worried that they won't make enough money to pay their rent - so why not take a cheaper apartment and get a job that makes you smile? We don't all have to love what we do, but we shouldn't hate it, and we certainly shouldn't allow it to make us miserable.
What point am I trying to get across? If you're unhappy, do something about it. Don't plod along and put up with all the grief and then turn around in twenty years and complain. If you truly hate your job then quit, find something you like doing, and adapt your life to cope with the adjusted income. If you're lucky you'll be able to succeed in your preferred field and money won't be an issue - but even if you have to watch the pennies, isn't it more important to start and end your day with a smile?
Happiness doesn't have a price.
03/06/2004 ©
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