So, a new day and a new job dawns a few hours from now. Recently I have been thinking more and more about work. The whys, the wherefores, the meaning, the reasons we all do what we do and have begun to redraw the picture in my head.
Work - it is defined by each person. Each of us must decide how to balance our work lives, our family lives and out social lives so that we make ongoing strides to get to where we all want to be. My goals and plan is different than anyone else's yet, we share some over arching similarities.
Work will make up about a third of our time on this earth and as prepare to enter my 4th decade of work, I look at things a bit differently with each passing year.
Work is SUPPOSED to help you reach the goals you have set. Work is supposed to provide for the needs of your family. Work is supposed to provide for the expenses of your golden years. That is the way it is supposed to be.
So, what are the answers? If I HAVE to work to the end, how can I change what and how I do it so that I can get the enjoyment out of work that I want? I think I need to continually redefine 'work' and to adjust my efforts to get to the point where I end up doing the kind of 'work' that has been newly defined.
Doing some research on the web, I found a good quote about work that I will use to pick apart a new plan...
A man at work, making something which he feels will exist because he is working at it and wills it, is exercising the energies of his mind and soul as well as of his body.
This passage pretty much hits the nail on the head. Work, for some lucky people IS just this - the feeling that what you do matters beyond the simple doing, beyond (or besides) the pay check that comes in for the doing. In fact, this kind of work would be done even if it was being done for free. And to summarize, if you are happy in what you do, you will do it better, and that results in less stress about 'work' and a hopefully healthy life. But, I maintain, that for the majority of people, this is patently NOT what 'work' means in our real lives. For most (and myself included) work has simply become away to make money to pay bills. There is little real enjoyment, there are three things that we look forward to; the end of the day, the end of the week and the paycheck. If we can somehow force ourselves to get up and repeat the process every day, we have a good chance of meeting our needs.
Memory and imagination help him as he works.
Here is where things get sticky, and here maybe a year or so ago is where I got both lazy, complacent and forgetful of what is expected, and more importantly respected by the employer. I had been at my previous position for nearly five years, and had become comfortable. Comfortable in my head thinking that I knew enough about my job, and was secure enough in my position in my company that I could expand my involvement in the company to encompass areas outside my 'job-description'. Unfortunately, my supervisor felt this was not the case. So, last winter, through a combination of lack of foresight of the changing demands of my job, and loss of perspective in the belief that I could become more than my job required, I was fired, in part for just what this quote says... having an imagination beyond my job. In fact I WAS enjoying immensely the expanding opportunities for creativity within my job, which, unbeknownst to me was perceived as 'lack-of-focus' on my 'job' and so out the door I went. Lesson learned, manage your expectations, keep an eye out for those around you who want to see you fail, work to improve your skills and never quit looking for the next opportunity.
Not only his own thoughts, but the thoughts of the men of past ages guide his hands; and, as part of the human race, he creates.
Now that I have moved from one job to the next, what kind of perspective do these last few months give me? How can I put this in some kind of context that makes sense? I am now 48. I have a kid in college. I have been married for 21 years. I have another kid working his way way towards being a teen-ager. I have a handful of aging guy medical issues. I have watched elderly relatives pass away - and friends too. I have been through the emotional wringer over employment and finances. I have begun to look ahead and fear for many aspects of my future (whether realistic or not), so how can I ground myself through this within the context of work?
My father and grandfather were both carpenters - men who worked with their hands - men who knew the same kinds of struggles, men who raised kids and grandkids. Both these men set examples for me to follow, some good, and possibly some not so good, but overall they always did the best they could for their families. They provided not only the essentials, but more importantly the intangibles that you cannot quantify.
They were also creative men - they worked with wood, leather, beads, feathers and paint, and the pride that they took in their daily work was also present in their artistic efforts, even though they would not have considered themselves 'artists' - they were certainly not recognized as such. But through them, I learned much. By watching them I saw and learned the importance of giving full effort, of completing a project from beginning to end. Maybe this is also part of the reason that was so hard for me to give up and just quit when things got ugly this past winter and spring.
As I have noted in past posts, moving on has not been easy, in fact it has been horribly humiliating and difficult at times, but I struggle on. The experience has also changed the way I look at things. The experience has changed the way I look at my future; from work, to my art work, to my health to my family, all things that we go through in life and only casually glance at, at lest I was guilty of this, casually taking advantage of each day, never really connecting with the important elements, never really grasping the things that slip by each day.
I have learned that as corny as it is, so many things matter more than work, especially when the work you do offers little beyond a paycheck.
I have learned that many things matter more than I used to believe they did:
-the simple fact that I have a wife that has stuck with me through thick and thin
-two healthy good kids that offered us no more than the typical concerns as they grew up
-I really, really, REALLY need a handful of friends that will offer their honest opinion and a sympathetic ear -- both when we need them.
-it is just as important to take an afternoon walk as it is to cash a paycheck
-I need my dogs. They listen and love unconditionally when no one else seems to care.
-a hot cup of coffee with a good friend can keep me grounded
-the creation of art is much more important than I ever realized, for a whole host of reasons.
-I do not want to live my life in the pursuit of money for moneys sake -- especially if all the money is doing is allowing me to get by and not to get ahead, not even a little.
If we work thus we shall be men, and our days will be happy and eventful.
William Morris
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