Are we all just looking for the perfect distraction? Society tells us to go to school. After school, society tells us that we will get a career that is fulfilling and causes us to be happy. Why do we believe this? If we’re not happy where were at, why kid ourselves that we will be happy when we have the 'Perfect Career'. There is only one thing that I can see as the perfect career and that is if it is the 'Perfect Distraction'. If we’re looking for a career to complete us it would have to be one hell of a distraction, it would have to consume us... because, if it didn't, when we were alone and not busy we would realize we forgot about life.
A survey in a USA Today article says only 50% of Americans are satisfied with their job and out of that 50% only 14% are very satisfied. In another survey 80% of workers say they experience stress on the job and half of those say they need help in learning how to handle it. 14% of workers have felt like striking a coworker and 25% have felt like screaming or shouting due to stress. 10% are concerned about an individual at work they fear could become violent. 9% are aware of an assault or violent act in their workplace and 18% had experienced some sort of threat or verbal intimidation in the past year.
So basically there is a 14% chance you will be really happy, an 80% chance you will be stressed out, 1 out of 4 of us is going to feel like screaming at his coworker, 1 out of 5 of us will be threatened and 1 out of 10 of us will work in fear another coworker is going to go postal. Somehow, this doesn’t sound like the makings of a life. If your job and career is all you have then good luck.Once again, I am not saying there is anything wrong with working and school and careers. There just has to be a difference between searching for life and searching for the Perfect Distraction. There has to be a difference between having a job that is my life and having a job to support my Life.
Maybe I'm just beating a dead horse...
5 comments:
How many people really like their job? I mean seriously its a great idea that we as Americans keep in our back pockets, but seriously, worth spending a lifetime to accumalate? Then after retirement, most of us will buy an RV and travel the US or move to a warmer climate....then what? Be put in an old folks home by our kids who were raised with the same mentality, and are way too busy to come and visit us. Okay, this could be a broad speculation....I'll admit not everyone is like this....but what are we to do....can we ultimatley always be happy? Can striving to get that career, makes us happy in the end? We are not even promised tommorow, so why put so much faith into that career, or even that diploma....most of my friends who graduate work at Starbucks, and trust me, thats not what their degree is in. Now I'm not saying lay around and waste, but what you said Cure struck home....don't let your work be your life, cause it'll own you....thanks for sll the great posts. God bless.
I would think that it's very close to what you said about using your job to support your life. Don't let your job be your life.
Wow! What a great post. I really enjoyed this. Strangely, I was thinking about this today.
Lots of jobs may SOUND cool, but the people who have them will tell you differently. They're looking for a way OUT.
Cure, you seem to straddle the line - any line really, in looking for balance. This may give you something to think of, maybe not.
One thing to keep in mind is what is your guiding force. To some extent, we ALL want the perfect distraction, which is not an entirely bad thing. I know I do. The point of it is knowing what you are trying to be distracted from. Once you find that answer, which will be different for each scenario, you will be able to weigh the trade-offs.
And no matter what an article tells you, you know as well as the next person that we all lie to look cool, fit in, and avoid awkward situations. Find what works for you, based on you. Learn what you do/don't want to be distracted from... and be honest. You have it all up there in your head - don't be afraid of it.
Besides, you can always get the CJ Sparrow gear! =)
I think 'The Perfect Career' is getting the job you've always dreamed of.
There was a time (2 months ago to be precise) when I wanted to have 'The Prefect Career'. So I started doing some research on how to get into it and what's involved etc.
Then I watched 2 movies: 'To Die For' and 'The Aviator'.
They made me realised that there's no such thing as 'The Perfect Career' because it'll either get you killed or very very ill.
N
http://pwincessdiaries.blogspot.com
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