You vs. the Cubicle (Blog)

[Savage]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

You vs. the Cubicle

[Zulfus]

Inspiring, Literally just what I needed, Right this second.

Cheers Steve.

Zulfus Out.

[st33med]

But but but but butbutbutbutbutbutbut...

That's my cubicle :|
My... My precious

[AdamA]

Steve,

That path with a heart is a path that requires courage.

This post rocked. I really, really needed to hear this today.

Thanks from the bottom of my liberated heart.

[Zulfus]

Originally Posted by AdamA

Steve,



This post rocked. I really, really needed to hear this today.

Thanks from the bottom of my liberated heart.

I quite enjoyed that line as well. Something very "I am a knight, saving the world" about it.

Though, having just watched merlin, everything's looking rather noble..

"NO MUM! I Shall escort the butter to the fridge!" "For Camelot!"



Zulfus

[Andrew Brunelle]

Great article, Steve. This is exactly why Milton lit the building on fire in Office Space. He must have had a flamethrower and was exercising his personal power to get out of his horrible situation.

[Daffy Duck]

A happy person can choose to be happy whether sitting in mud, a desk, a cubicle, a high-rise office, a house, while drowning, or even being lit on fire. Though I must admit, the latter may take an enlightened fellow to achieve!

With that said, I do agree that cubicles belong to beginners. The more elite of us should work out of a trailer.

[Angela]

That's so funny, Daffy -- I was just today talking about that! I'm going to take that as a sign.

[starlite]

Wow!

[Ekb]

wow, i didn't realize there were so many killer objects lying around, please nobody hand them any power tools, i think they are very, very angry.

[wolverine]

Wow, Steve. Thank you! While I am in nothing like the actual situation described, the general advice is exactly what I needed to hear. I'm trying to figure out how to become more of a person I like and am happy with, not bored with. Choose a path with a heart, something that looks interesting? Alright!

Way to go, Steve.


Wolverine

[Beuford]

It's a good thing that I'm not in a cubicle. It's not a good thing that I'm stuck at school sitting in hard plastic chairs with small desks. I don't feel powerless to get up and walk out during a near worthless inefficient lesson, but then they well follow it up later and there will be consequences, and I'll be back stuck in a hard plastic chair with no room on the desk again. Still though, nice article and it will be useful a bit later on.

[aelle]

Originally Posted by Beuford

It's a good thing that I'm not in a cubicle. It's not a good thing that I'm stuck at school sitting in hard plastic chairs with small desks. I don't feel powerless to get up and walk out during a near worthless inefficient lesson, but then they well follow it up later and there will be consequences, and I'll be back stuck in a hard plastic chair with no room on the desk again. Still though, nice article and it will be useful a bit later on.

Honestly? Same difference.

[Beuford]

Yes, but when you are 16 it's much harder to just walk out. You know, parents, and the laws that you have to be in school.

[brendannz]

I think it's a good post, it's written in an empowering way..

[aelle]

Not sure where you are, Beuford, but in most countries the law says you must get an education, and not necessarily in the form of school attendance. And pleasing your parents is another rule you create. You may choose to try and please your parents, just like you may choose to get a job, but don't pretend you have to.

I personally loved the school I went to, but I say this in the light of the experience of a friend who didn't, and left on her own volition at age 13 to learn vegan cooking and put her skills to good use in a punk soup kitchen. Incidentally, she has an excellent relationship with her mother now.

One could just as well argue that it's much harder to walk out of a job when you have a morgage, children, older parents to support, health problems. In the end, they all are just limits we create.

[Beuford]

You're right, aelle. Tomorrow I might go see what forms I have to fill out to leave school. Where I live you need a full time job to be able to leave school. That would mean if I did that, by the time I'd be moving out I'd already have a financial head start compared to if I stayed in school.

And yes, I should stop limiting myself with my parents. They aren't going to hate me just because I don't want to go to school anymore. Unfortunately I'll still need their permission and such, but I'm sure I can find a way. Thank you.

I will also admit that I was not in the best mood when I made the previous posts on this thread, but this article was well timed with recent events for me.

[Aleksander Krstic]

You don't need permission of your parents Beuford.

[Beuford]

I think they have to sign the papers.

[Gene]

I stopped working a traditional job decades ago. I occasionally take a consulting gig for a short time if it interests me and brings bliss to my life.

I live, play, love, and earn my money in ways that are not oppressive to myself or others. I have not regretted my decision to pursue a different path than my contemporaries.

When people ask me where I work or my profession I have a short elevator speech I use. For those who are truly interested I am willing to go into more detail. Most people never want more than the elevator speech.

[Daffy Duck]

I'm interested in what you do, Gene. Send me a PM!

[James81]

Originally Posted by Beuford

You're right, aelle. Tomorrow I might go see what forms I have to fill out to leave school. Where I live you need a full time job to be able to leave school. That would mean if I did that, by the time I'd be moving out I'd already have a financial head start compared to if I stayed in school.

And yes, I should stop limiting myself with my parents. They aren't going to hate me just because I don't want to go to school anymore. Unfortunately I'll still need their permission and such, but I'm sure I can find a way. Thank you.

I will also admit that I was not in the best mood when I made the previous posts on this thread, but this article was well timed with recent events for me.

Please don't do this.

Yes, it's possible to be successful in this world without an education (a very SMALL percentage of people have done it), but you are purposely stacking the odds against you by doing so.

I mean, not going to college is one thing, but to quit high school is something else. Most of the people I know who quit high school is working some crappy job making a crappy wage.

I don't think this article is geared towards people in school at all. And I would think that Steve would say such, since he has a college education himself.

[cacheborn]

Great article. Some points made me pause and think.
Thanks, Steve.

[jesstucker]

this post is straight up!

[aelle]

Originally Posted by James81

Please don't do this.

Yes, it's possible to be successful in this world without an education (a very SMALL percentage of people have done it), but you are purposely stacking the odds against you by doing so.

I mean, not going to college is one thing, but to quit high school is something else. Most of the people I know who quit high school is working some crappy job making a crappy wage.

I don't think this article is geared towards people in school at all. And I would think that Steve would say such, since he has a college education himself.

I feel I have to comment on this, since I feel I have some responsibility in what's been said. I personally believe that not getting an education is a stupid decision. But I also think that not making your own decisions is stupider, and that it's never too early to start thinking for yourself. Sure, you might make some less than perfect choices at first, but the older you are and the more responsibility you have, the graver the consequences of your choices can be, so you'd better start practicing your desicion-making skills early.

Steve dropped out of college once (or got kicked out?) when he went without thinking it through, and only finished it when it was his choice.

[Rachelle]

Here's my personal problem:

I've quit the soul-draining job a while back. I've refused to take another soul-draining job. I am taking the odd gig here and there that aligns with what I *do* want to be doing, but it's not enough to live off of.

I have so many business ideas, I don't know where to start. But even if I did, I have no capital. And aside from that, even though I'd love for these business ideas to see the light of day, I don't want to get "stuck" running a business, either; even if it is my own business.

I've figured out that I've been using my own power against myself for far too long; I also figure I must be fearful of success, even though it is simultaneously something I really really want.

AAARGH!
lol, I'm ridiculous.

Maybe I'll work with some visualization exercises and take it from there...

But aside from my own issues, I concur that this blog post is indeed awesome.

[Vermilion Sparrow]

This is nice and all, and it's very empowering and inspiring to hear these things, but every time I hear something like this I get depressed.

Why? Because I'm ready to change things, I really am, I just don't know what I want to change them to. I've been waiting for years to have some idea of what to do. I'm bored, I'm not being challenged. There's plenty of things that I could change, but I have no direction. I only know what sorts of things I don't want, and have no idea what I do want.

The last time I was happy was in college, taking random classes that didn't count towards my degree. I ended up dropping out of college because no matter how many times I changed my major, I couldn't stay interested in the required classes long enough to bother to keep showing up after the first semester or so. However, I haven't found a way to get paid to research something for a few months and then switch topics, and at some point you have to admit that if I quit my job and spent a few months in a library I would eventually starve to death.

[Dimond]

Vermilion, just take action instead of thinking about doing something. Even if it isn't correct or permanent, just taking action can lead to all kinds of things.

Quitting school, even high school, isn't stupid. Especially if you at least get a GED at some point. But regardless one needs to do whatever works for them and makes them happy rather than be ruled by fear of society. My life isn't any better by wasting my time finishing high school (and yes, it was a complete waste of years). Some people just aren't school people and can do better things on their own.

[James81]

Originally Posted by Dimond

Quitting school, even high school, isn't stupid. Especially if you at least get a GED at some point. But regardless one needs to do whatever works for them and makes them happy rather than be ruled by fear of society. My life isn't any better by wasting my time finishing high school (and yes, it was a complete waste of years). Some people just aren't school people and can do better things on their own.

The problem with this line of thinking is that there is very little security in it. (Now, I know someone will come in here and accuse me of being "fear-based")

I, too, look back on high school and college for that matter, as a "waste" of time in the sense that I have a degree that I really don't want to use anymore.

BUT, on the flip side there is security in knowing I have that degree. My options are wide open should I ever get to the point of desperation in my own pursuits (unlikely, but it IS a possibility). It's nice to know that I have that degree, that piece of paper that tells business owners that I am a low risk option for consideration.

It's also a very physical piece of proof that I can stick with something until the end. It's also a very physical piece of proof that I am an intelligent person.

Until you have something like that (that you can show other people), you can never truly appreciate the security that it brings. I'll always know that as a last ditch option I can always fall back on that degree and use it to get by if I have to.

On the other hand, I have a family member that quit high school in the 11th grade. He started his own online business which was wildly successful and has been successful for over a decade...until now. A situation arose in the past year that almost cost him his business and ever since then he's been floundering to get by. If that business fails, what is his option? Well, he can start from scratch and try a new business. But until that new business would get off the ground, he has a limited means of gaining income that involves workings in a crappy local factory just to put food on the table for his family.

Yes, you need to take the fact that one day you might have a family into account and that someday you MAY have to eat crow for a while to feed that family.

Getting a high school diploma is an absolute MUST. A college degree would be even better in knowing that you can fall back onto it in times that are lean.

All I'm saying.

I believe you should go after your passion with a 100% ferocity. I absolutely do. But I don't think you should just flippantly disregard getting an education either.

[James81]

And I think if you read Steve's blogs, you'll notice that he doesn't attack getting an education. He attacks working a crappy dead end job.