I’ve now worked exactly half my life.
I started slinging McBurgers in late October 1988 as a newly minted 15-year-old. I’ve been gainfully employed – more or less – ever since. Since earning my journalism degree, my career path has been directly or indirectly related to journalism, too. While work sure does cut into my Fun Time, I realize it’s a blessing that I’ve never been without a job.
That alone doesn’t make me special, just fortunate so far. I’ve worked in industries not prone to layoffs and have never been caught doing something overtly stupid. Do I play it safe? You bet, especially now that I’ve got a family to support.
Last month, the Petite Filet didn’t earn any money in her freelancing work. Miraculously, we lived off my salary alone for all of October. That and by the grace of God went we. It was tight, but we made it!
My great-uncle Lawrence, who in his early life was a genuine Pirate of the Caribbean (spelled “smuggler”), told me once that because my birth in 1973 fell on Labor Day, I'd have labor all my life. He’s right, because life is work. No matter how good one part of my life is, there’s always something out of balance somewhere. It’s not supposed to be easy, and it’s not. Nobody is immune to that rule. It may seem like it from the outside, but there’s always something hinky – mentally, spiritually or physically – brewing below the surface.
I’ve shared some of this “wisdom” about my philosophy about work. Here’s why I might complain at times, but it’s really not so bad:
1. I no longer define myself by my place of employment. I’m so much more than an advertising copywriter that it’s even silly to call myself that. That’s what I do, not who I am.
2. In the end, it won’t matter what I did for a living or whether anyone remembers my work. Nobody on his deathbed wishes he’d worked more overtime or remembers fondly the dollar amounts on his paychecks.
3. Supporting myself and my family is a worthy endeavor.
4. Eight hours a day is a small price to pay for the benefits of food, clothing, shelter and a sense of home.
5. I have bosses at work, but they aren’t in charge of me. At the end of the day, I leave my work at work so I can focus on what’s important at home. This isn't always easy.
6. My legacy, not that a legacy amounts to a hill of beans, is built on how I treat others, how I raise my children and how I serve (or don’t serve) God. Everything but the latter is temporary and will eventually fade, burn, rust or rot into nothingness.
7. There is an opportunity cost for climbing the corporate ladder. It is not humanly possible for me to give 100% to more than one thing, so I have to choose what is important to me.
8. I strive professionally so someday I can better support my family. However, time is my most precious nonrenewable resource. Time spent wisely is worth 100,000 times the amount of money I could make in the same space of time. Once that time is gone, I can never get it back.
9. Stress at work is easier for me to shrug off because of items 1-9. There’s so much more to living than my desk-jockey existence from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
10. I do my best to not judge others whose priorities do not match my own. We all must make our own choices and live with the circumstances.
What do you think about work?
Good Points! I like 4,5,7!
Work sucks but you gotta do it. It's like an 8 hour annoyance everyday for me, then I start my real life at 5pm. Someday I wish to enjoy working, but for now... gotta make the best of the time that I am not.
Have a great day!
-Dew
It's all downhill from here.
Work? I just wish we had some here! Been outta work for almost 2 years. But you know what? Your points are so very valid. You realize how special the priviledge to work is when you lose it. Work on! And enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Work is a necessary evil in order to enjoy and support the important things in life. I have been working 26 years in one capacity or another. I can't see myself working til retirement, another 23. At least not for someone else.
Freud said something like - for happiness you need love and work. One of his most reasonable theories...
Knowing many people who want to work but can't (due to illness) has helped me realize that work is a very important component of our lives. The best work is something you enjoy, of course. Sometimes we convince ourselves that we are stuck in some position when we really are not... miserable work life is still miserable life, even if it is only for part of the day.
I'm blessed with work I love. I've known too many people who wake up in the morning and hate going into work. Sara's points above are right on.
I learn something new everyday. I interact with people who are much smarter than I am (some nobel laureates and true geniuses), but am often taken back by how similar we are (a penchant for eating fish or favoring island vacations).
The people I work with are pleasant, intelligent, and hard-working. I thank my lucky stars everyday to be working in such a healthy, supportive environment.
And, lastly, I'm proud of what I do - I think it's important work.
I agree with Mala. I am blessed to be at a job that I love and believe that I am serving where God wants me to.
sooooo....that means that every day you work from here on out will be over half of your life? hmmmm....
Work is not how you define yourself. I see work as just part of my life, not what I do as my life.
I have good and bad days at my job, but overall I'm just happy that I'm able to go to it everyday. It stimulates my mind and keeps me sharp. And many people are out of work nowadays; I know I'm pretty lucky.
glad to have a job.....just tired of the work!!!
I do like work. But am so ready for a break. Lately, work has piled upon work and nothing seems to get done. I miss the sense of accomplishment I used to get.
I totally agree....work should not define your identity. I've only recently come to terms with that. My relationship with my family and friends is way more important than my job (and I haven't even taken on the added responsibilty of children yet) and therefore that's how I'm going to determine if my life is sucessful or not.
Great list T-bone!
I pretty much work in an industry not prone to layoffs (accounting), but I was fired this summer (for no reason). You'd think that companies would always need someone to keep track of their money (or lack of it), but based on my job search, apparently that is not the case.
it's difficult to delineate the true meaning of work in one's life. although i suspect most folks can separate work from home at an intellectual level, it's seems rather implausible to believe that one can definitively and completely "leave work at the office." yes, work is what you do, not what you are - but how can one not be affected by it? there are numerous, often subtle, layers upon layers of work-life that pervade and interact with the layers upon layers of home-life.
t-bone, you seem to have a healthy, balanced attitude. for those of you that hate your work or view it as a "necessary evil", do you think that kind of attitude seeps into your home-life too? if not, then you're extraordinarily good at compartmentalization, at which i wish i were as adept.
I am very fortunate to have the job that I do. I've said it many times, my boss is more like a friend, and my co-workers rock! We are more like a family and it makes it easy to get to work everyday. I'm very lucky.
Hope you're enjoying your job(s), because half a lifetime is a lot!!
While it's not all rainbows and bunny rabbits, I enjoy my career. My career has been formed over the years, by a successful series of choices -- and I do not regret a single one. :)
My work ethic was shaped by a hard-working daddy, and as such, I've worked (well, according to Social Security) since I was 15 and have enjoyed continuous employment ever since.
My big question though is more along the lines of: What would I be doing if I didn't HAVE to rely on this job/career to support myself?
Realistically, if I could just work for the fun/satisfaction, without having to worry about covering the mortgage and bills myself, what would I be doing?
Suffice it to say that it wouldn't be that of a corporate schmuck.
:)
Great points, thanks.
I have a Labor Day baby, but I'm thinking she didn't get the "labor" message about her school work, though!
I think work takes up a huge amount of time in life. i mean, 8 hours a day is a lot. a lot of time that could be spent with family, friends, sleeping, writing novels, painting masterpieces, and dancing.
i don't like work. it's boring. but i do like emailing people and reading their blogs while i'm at work.