The Right Persuasion
Reinvent yourself
By Paul Moomjean 09/02/2010
Happy Labor Day weekend, Ventura! Of course, for 9.5 percent of our American population, Labor Day is bittersweet, since having an extended weekend means very little when your work week doesn’t actually start or end anymore. But before you get frustrated while waiting for someone at the unemployment office to help you get last week’s EDD check, just remember that working people aren’t doing too well these days on the job in general. If it isn’t a flight attendant giving difficult passengers their just deserts before cracking open a beer and sliding down the inflatable exit slide, it is bitter workers shooting up the workplaces when fired. Or maybe you heard about how teachers have been given less pay for the same amount of work to keep the educational system afloat? Truth be told, the workplace is no picnic either, and don’t even get me started on how Barack Obama, the Senate and the House have to deal with unbelievably low job approval ratings. Imagine if your weekly evaluation were on page one of the New York Times. Just to put things in perspective, not working is tough, but working can be even worse.
Oscar Wilde once wrote, “The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one,” and while I wholeheartedly agree, as I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum, I would add that working can be a nightmare of epic proportions if not put into perspective. The getting up early, the 101 traffic, the dressing up, the clocking in and clocking out, the timed lunch, the endless tasks, the mind-numbing downtime, the numerous supervisors, all with different agendas, the fear of potential overtime, the fear of being laid off, the fear of being promoted without much of a raise, the pressure of enjoying your one week of vacation. It never ends. So to those who find themselves with stress-inducing jobs or for those still lost adrift in the sea of unemployment, I have two words for you: Reinvent yourself.
While you work for a living, you must not live to work. Try to make your job a way to fund your passions. You get one life, so why throw it away for a company that can and will replace you when that is in its best interest? That doesn’t mean don’t work hard, but the things of this world are passing away, so why invest your all into them? Old jobs are no longer needed, and new jobs are being picked up by those who look like they’ve spent a little too much time playing video games in their parents’ basements. So if you are blessed to have a steady income, take advantage of your position.
Find ways to make the work environment more pleasant. Be the beacon of happiness. Be the one who finds solutions instead of complaints. Work with your co-workers instead of around them. It’s really hard to be miserable or tired with a kick in your step and a smile on your face. If your job allows you, take night classes at a community college in subjects you love, or form a weekly sports, film or book club. Life is more tolerable when you are waiting for something to come, as opposed to simply waiting.
For those still looking to get back into the workforce, think about this time as a new opportunity. Maybe there is something you’ve always wanted to do. Do it. Learn it. Love it. Then live it.
While I was unemployed, I got a writing career started, earned a master’s in English through online classes, started a Bible study, volunteered at a senior home, lost 40 pounds at the gym, coached high school and college wrestling, went white water rafting with friends, and kept myself as busy as possible while searching Craigslist and Monster every day.
Don’t think that just because it’s what you’ve always done, it’s what you always have to do.
This is America. Since its inception, we’ve thought of this country as the land of opportunity. So take advantage of that opportunity. Do not let your job or lack of job define you. Instead, let your body of work be what others see.
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Comments
Excellent piece! So well written and so true!
Keep the articles coming. I so enjoy reading them.
You are absolutely right in keeping a good upbeat attitude when working. It makes one realize how blessed one is to have a job in this poor economy.
We must focus on the good things. Thanks for the reminder.