One way of discerning the shape of an object is to fill in the space where the object isn't. I generally try to "stay positive" in my thinking, but I'm going to provide some outlines by listing some ideas that no longer work for me:
Your life's work is your job. Your career and a large part of your identity are defined by where you work, who you work for, and what you do for income. Your job is a prepackaged set of duties, defined by your employers on their terms. You are expected to help them advance their enterprise. The effect this has on you is of no consequence.
Work is hell. Part of being an adult is resigning yourself to work you don't enjoy because it brings in the money you need to buy the stuff you think you are supposed to have. It's not supposed to be fun, that's why they call it work. Just be glad you have a job.
Pie in the sky by and by. If you make enough money (after you finish paying for all your stuff), one day, you will be able to retire. Hope like hell that you are still healthy enough and rich enough to work in a few of the enjoyable, fulfilling things that you never found time for when you were working.
School is meant to prepare you for work. The reason you go to college is to put you onto a career path that brings in lots of money, so you can buy lots of stuff and eventually retire. All those humanities electives and extracurricular activities are a waste of time, unless they help you meet important people who will help you make a good start to your career. You don't have to enjoy your studies or like the career you are studying for, just as long as it makes you rich.
Busier is better. Life is just one big contest to see who can put in the most hours on the job and who can cram the most tasks into their day. The people who hold staff meetings by cell phone while driving way over the speed limit from company headquarters to the branch location are the ones who get promoted.
You have to be a team player. As in, "take one for the team", not "your team is there to back you up". Show up for all the company social events, wear the polo shirts with the company logo, skip your kid's baseball game for the all-hands meeting, make sure that you speak to the CEO every chance you get so that he remembers who you are.
Getting kicked off the team is a fate worse than death. The company provides you with your identity. If you think that the company is about to downsize, you must redouble your efforts, work longer hours, multitask better, and score as much face time as possible with anyone holding the rank of vice president or higher. If you are laid off, no one will ever hire you again. You will go bankrupt, your family and friends will leave you, and the rest of your life will be miserable.
Never hire anyone over 30. New college hires are inexpensive, plentiful, healthy, energetic, and accustomed to pulling all-nighters. Hiring people right out of college cuts down on your employee development costs, since you're letting the kids' parents pay the tuition for all the latest and greatest technical training. Once this training becomes outdated, hire some new kids. Corollary: If your hair is turning gray, you must dye it so that no one will ever know how old you really are.
As I said, those are some of the ideas I'm throwing onto the scrap heap. My hope is that once they are cleared out of the way, the picture of what I do want can emerge into sharper focus.
I've got a long list of "not that" also. It worried me that I could come up with that list so easily, based on lots of specific "not that" experience, much more easily in fact than a "yes, this" list.
ReplyDeleteThe "yes, this" list derives very much from the commentaries on DVD movies (i.e. "LOTR"), in which the actors, writers, props and sets people, director, etc. speak in wide-eyed amazement about the skill and professionalism of the others they were able to work with on the project, and what an honor it was to be a part of it.
"Yes. That. Please."
Yes! I'll have that too, please.
ReplyDeleteLOL! (<--Please note I left only a single space despite what I learned in "typing" class) You hit the nail on the head there except for the part about humanities classes... Those were to be avoided at all costs in college!
ReplyDeleteSince my place on the new contract is still up in the air, I have been thinking about what I want to do going forward. My step-father is giving me the "you really could do so much *more*" pep talk, but it occurred (or re-occurred) to me today, that what he means by that is that I could have a career more like his. Now, he was very successful and made a lot of money, but he worked ALL the time. I really don't want to do that. I like riding my bike to work most days, more or less enjoying the work I do, and riding home to relax every night. I am sure I could get paid more to drive out to the office early every morning and return home to work on more BS after the kids go to bed, but what kind of life is that? NO THANKS!
Your single space is greatly appreciated! (LOL) I think we have a lot of company, not wanting our jobs to consume every spare minute of our lives. I know a few people who love their work enough to justify the 24-7, but most of them are in it for the love and not the money. (i.e., they are missionaries, journalists, and the like) I wonder how much our society is losing by convincing people that it's not possible to make a living by doing what you were meant to do.
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