NOTE: This is the first of a series of articles that will talk on loving our jobs and how to find the job we can love with all our heart. The series is a prelude to my book “Jobless” which will be launched in April.
We always hear of people saying that we need to love our jobs. Others say that having a job is a blessing, thus, we shouldn’t take it for granted. Still, others say that we should take our jobs seriously or else it would be like wasting an opportunity.
All these are true. But what if we cannot bring ourselves to love our jobs? What if it has become a drag? What if the workplace has become a prison that we cannot find a way out? Here are a few practical insights on how we can find the job we can fall in love with for the rest of our lives.
If you want to spend your life doing something you really love, the best path to take is to treat money matters as secondary. If the main criterion for settling on a job is how much money will be earned then you are straight away restricting your options. In contrast, if you let yourself pursue your inquisitiveness and your passion, you will find yourself in a position of “power,” and in due course, you will be in the position to earn money in whatever amount you like.
As you opt for the impact you want to have, be focused on the things that you really care about, not what you think you should care about. Nowadays, millions of people are working toward a definition of success that is worthless to them and that is because many are dictated by society on what “success” or “happiness” means. Be truthful about what really matters to you, and then work towards it, when you’re there, work for it with utmost dedication and energy.
Are you someone who hates your job? But you’re staying because you think there is nowhere to go, there’s nothing else is in store for you, or you haven’t figured out what it is you really want to do? This mindset is a bit flawed simply because you will never learn or discover your ideal career or job by just sitting around and thinking about it. If the present scenario is not working or doesn’t feel right, you need to start and find something else.
When I left my government job, a lot of people told me that I wasted a good opportunity. I just kept my mouth shut. I know nobody will understand the motivation behind my resignation and that’s because almost everyone is thinking of a “fixed” salary and of the “pension” that will soon be forthcoming. They may be right. A “fixed” salary is worth keeping and a pension is worth waiting for. The biggest question though is this — if I am not happy with my job or if I am always late in going to the office because I no longer look forward to what I am doing, can I really keep the fixed salary forever? Will the pension really come if I will be fired because I have become inefficient?
Misery always loves company and soon will breed more misery. If you are surrounded with people who treat their work with lackluster attitude, it will infect you and will bring you down.
I am not saying you should shut your unhappy friends out of your life. I’m saying that you should make a conscious effort to seek out optimistic people. Think of someone who greatly inspires you and spend more time with her/him. You can invite him/her to lunch, do some chitchat or join his/her civic organization. If you encircle yourself with individuals who are “truthfully living life,” this will definitely alter your beliefs about what is possible in this world.
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Author’s email: legis616821@gmail.com
