Words have a profound sway on how we view reality. And often times when I see habitancy recite their "work" or "job," they do so with very negative connotations. They complain that it makes them tired, bored, and uninspired. They complain how their bosses annoy them. And they complain that they don't get paid enough.
Perhaps that is why, throughout my short 22 years, I have only seen a handful of habitancy who are no ifs ands or buts enthusiastic when they have to go to work.
Baseball
I always wondered as a kid if I would be one of those rare enthusiastic habitancy or instead if I'd be one of those habitancy who constantly complains about their job without ever doing whatever to convert it.
The qoute that I've noticed is that habitancy have begun to expect that their jobs are supposed to suck. It's come to be an attitude that has been conditioned into our society, and I believe it needs to be fixed. I often see habitancy openly accept their misery and explicate it by saying things like:
A job's a job.
Whatever helps pay the bills.
I'm supposed to work hard and corollary the rules.
Life's a bitch.
Etc...
The qoute with this kind of language is that we begin to welcome miserable jobs into our life because we think that's the norm. And when we think we are supposed to hate our jobs then we often decree for a job we hate. Go figure...
I decided before I ever graduated high school that I wasn't going to fall victim to this attitude. And I knew before I ever started blogging that I was going to find ways to make a living doing things that I was passionate about and no ifs ands or buts cared for.
The Zero Hour Workweek
Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life.
The definition of "work" is a matter of perspective. If you love what you do, and you are intrinsically motivated to do your work, then it's no ifs ands or buts no separate than being dedicated to having fun or enjoying life.
If you're a baseball player who loves playing baseball everyday, is that no ifs ands or buts comparable to what we ordinarily mean when we say "job?" No, yet it is a job, and baseball players often get paid exorbitant salaries to do what they love.
What if you're a musician who loves manufacture music? Or a instructor who loves teaching? Or a physician who loves taking care of his or her patients?
Everyone has a slightly separate path, but if you do what you love, then it's a lot less likely to feel like "work," and a helluva lot more likely to feel like something that no ifs ands or buts motivates you and makes you happy in the long-term.
In Jonathan Mead's free life-changing guide, The Zero Hour Workweek, he describes this same attitude and why it is so leading to a fulfilling job or career. He then gives you a step-by-step process on how to eye what makes you passionate and begin channeling that passion in effective ways. In it he shares a great quote by author James A. Michener that I believe no ifs ands or buts hits at the heart of the matter:
"The master in the art of living
draws no sharp discrepancy between
his labor and his leisure,
his mind and his body,
his work and his play,
his instruction and his recreation.
He hardly knows which is which.
He plainly pursues his foresight of excellence
through whatever he is doing
and leaves others to decree
whether his is working or playing.
To himself, he is always doing both."
- James A. Michener
Re-defining Work
I'm not working I'm...playing, exploring, and creating.
I think if we want to be "productive" but still live a satisfying life then we need to re-define what we ordinarily think of as work. There is nothing potential in the definition that says we can't have fun or that we can't enjoy ourselves while doing it.
In previous posts I have advocated that we blur the line between work and play, by doing things like:
Discovering effective activities that align with our core values.
Focusing on aspects of our work that we enjoy.
Trying to see the bigger picture of our actions.
Making a game out of inescapable aspects of work we may not enjoy as much.
Working with friends and like-minded people.
Taking frequent breaks and leisure-time to avoid work overload.
Being intrinsically motivated to push boundaries and be more creative.
Etc...
If you have a job that doesn't allow you to fulfill these kinds of requirements, then you may want to start manufacture a convert (not all at once, but at least in small doses). At least start looking for best alternatives, as I see no point in spending 40+ years at a job you no ifs ands or buts can't stand. None at all. That is plainly too much time being wasted. You're best than that.
The best part about Jonathan Mead's The Zero Hour Workweek (besides the fact that it is free) is that it begins to give you a detailed view on some of the things you can start doing to build a speculation that aligns with your interests, values, and passions.
Keep in mind, manufacture any convert is going to be difficult. For the time being, you may be dependent on your old ways, your old job, and your old way of viewing the world. This isn't a shift that is going to happen overnight, but it's a shift that may be worth manufacture in the long-run. You shouldn't ever stop fighting for your values, whatever they may be, so take benefit of this one shot you have at life while you're still here.
Questions
1) Are you happy with your job right now?
2) If not, what do you imagine that you'd rather be doing?
3) In general, what activities in life are you most passionate about?
The Zero Hour Workweek
Thanks To : Hitting Baseball
