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Originally Posted by PMcDonald  so what you are telling me with that statement is that I am wrong or misinformed for thinking that work sucks and that couldn't be further from the truth.
Here is MY reality - all jobs suck. |
People who say that all jobs suck generally do so because the work experiences they've had have led them to believe it. I, on the other hand, believe that there is meaningful, fulfilling work waiting for every human being who wants it.
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Originally Posted by PMcDonald Because I believe that I should be the only one who decides how much I am worth.
Because I believe that I should be the only one who decides when I can
spend time with my family.
Because I believe that I should be the only one who decides how many vacations I can take, what car I can drive, and where I can live.
Because I believe that I should be the only one in control of my life. |
And you are. There are financial vehicles in this world that enable a person to live whatever lifestyle he chooses -- the key is hard work, perseverance, determination, and wise choices.
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Following your dreams means doing WHATEVER it is that you are passionate about - a job, a business, a volunteer, a missionary - whatever. It doesn't have to mean finding your dream job.
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In my vernacular, all of the things that you mention above ARE dream jobs (for the person who wants them to be). So I think we agree on this point. In fact, it is the "narrow" definition of work that has gotten so many people into trouble in the first place.
Both Karl Marx and Abraham Maslow believed that man's true purpose is revealed in his work, not in his social life or any other aspect of his being. I realize this subject is ripe for debate (and that's fine), but I agree with them.
I no longer believe that it's desirable to separate the work from the worker. But here, I want to be very clear when I say "work," I am not talking about a 9 to 5 job per se. If we exclude the people with *truly* passive income, I am talking about the primary medium of exchange between an individual and society -- the exchange of skills, services, goods, etc.
Because most of us spend more of our waking life working than we spend on anything else, work is our primary means of contribution to the world (and to ourselves), but a less-than-optimal exchange (and experience) for many. It is the nature of this experience that has led so many to believe that all work sucks.
It is possible to set up a financial vehicle (consisting of passive income) that enables you to do your life's work completely outside of the framework of financial exchange. People in this category can spend their lives volunteering if they like -- and therefore, volunteering will become their life's work.
But for most of us, exchange is part of the bargain (because we choose for it to be -- consciously or otherwise), therefore, finding suitable work for sustenance (whether it's a 9 to 5 job, running a missionary, or whatever) remains important.
And I believe it's important to find meaningful work (work that is satisfying at the top of Maslow's pyramid) even if you are wealthy enough to not rely upon that work for Maslow's lower needs.