Thoughts About Work 582.2
Labor Day’s a good time to think about the role work plays in your life.
Henry Thoreau said, “The mass of men spend their lives in quiet desperation.” For some, work is part of that desperation. For others, it’s part of what makes life worth living. Finding the right job is as difficult as finding the right mate, but it’s just as important.
People who love their work get more out of their lives. Teddy Roosevelt said, “Far and away, the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” George Sand put it another way: “Work is not a punishment; it’s a reward.”
According to W. H. Auden, three things are needed if people are to be happy in their work: “They must be fit for it, they must not do too much of it, and they must have a sense of success in it.” Elbert Hubbard told his readers to “Get happiness out of your work or you may never know what happiness is.”
In summing up his life, comedian Johnny Carson said, “Never continue in a job you don’t enjoy. If you’re happy in what you’re doing, you’ll like yourself and you’ll have inner peace and more success than you could possibly have imagined.”
One of the profound questions is where does work fit into a balanced life. Some live for their work. If their work is truly meaningful and gratifying, that may make sense, but Harold Kushner points out, “I’ve never met anyone on their deathbed who said, ‘I wish I’d spent more time at the office.’”
Work is, of course, a common subject of cynical observations such as “Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties” (Doug Larson) or “Many people quit looking for work when they find a job.”
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
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the other day i locked my keys in my car and searched for half an hour for the spare key, it was hot and i felt all alone, you know? i called 2 locksmiths, but the endless trail of operators seemed to be leading me nowhere. i sat dejected, dressed in my nice work clothes, sweating and frustrated. where was that key? i knew it was there somewhere. i thought about breaking the rear window to get in, but that nagging feeling that the key should be there somewhere brought me to my feet one more time; first try under the front bumper, there it was!! eureka! off i went, happy to have saved my bacon but still concerned and bothered by the fact that no one ever called me back from the locksmiths who are supposed to be our last line of defense. score one for the regular guy, and score one for true grit and determination!
Posted by: philip macwilkinson | September 4, 2008 2:00 PM
This is an ever so timely thought about work for those of us who work in contracting, procurement and financial or budget management and analysis career fields. This time of year, September, being the end of the fiscal year, we are working unlimited overtime to spend funds that weren't otherwise efficiently utilized earlier in the year, and now must rush actions through innumerable and often inefficient processes to spend someone's remaining budget on products or services which themselves are too often found to be ill specified by the requiring activity just to get something they have done all year without anyway. The stress in our offices is unimaginable; everyone is overweight and suffering from some kind of stress-related illness.
Posted by: Tandi Masala | September 4, 2008 10:57 PM
A few years ago, I hired a business coach. The first question I had to answer was why do I work? The question was not meant to be trite or silly, but rather to be given careful consideration. Once I really understood why I worked, it changed my feelings about working. Do we work for money? Maybe. But with careful consideration, you just might find more meaning in why you work. When you do, then doing the work may become more meaningful.
Posted by: Michael Gerber | September 5, 2008 12:40 AM
Work...another four-letter word? I love my career despite the struggles, yet I do not like my current job. I was laid off (from a wonderful employer - we lost an important contract) almost 2 years ago, and I went back to a former employer. I thought I was going to help them out of their mess, but they only dragged me back into it. The yelling, the screaming (literally it is how this family-owned company operates), the constant aggravation and stress is taking a toll. I ended up in the hospital a few weeks ago with chest pains. It was not a heart attack this time, but the next time I may not be so lucky. When I saw my doctor, the FIRST thing he asked was, "Are you still working for those people who overwork you and pay you nothing?"
Posted by: Thomas Smith | September 9, 2008 9:06 AM