In your work life are you just getting by, having just enough or barely enough? Or is your work life abundantly full, rewarding and gratifying?
In listening to some of the college commencement speeches that are posted online recently, there is a common theme among them all – find your dream and live it. Let the passion you have within you drive you to your destiny. Hold tight to your dreams.
These messages are uplifting, positive, encouraging and most of all meant to carry us through the storms we will face out in the real working world.
We teach our children to do well in school and go to college so they can get a good job. We save endlessly to enable them the precious opportunity to pursue their dreams through a college education. We do this so that they may have it better than we do, that they may find a career path that truly inspires them and fills their heart.
We hope they will have more than “just enough.”
Think Back
When you sat proudly in your cap and gown listening to a similar inspirational talk about future possibilities.
Did you believe it were possible?
Did you know you were going to make it?
Do you remember what you wanted to do when you grew up?
Do you have abundance or just enough in your work?
Do you believe it will be truly different for your children or will they too look back and go wow is that all there was?
Then and Now
The majority of us never got to chase our dreams or realize the magnitude of how that dream could happen in our lives.
We went to work.
The majority of us don’t work doing anything near what we thought we would be doing.
We got a job, switched jobs a few times and may have even worked our way up a little bit on some corporate ladder. We work long hours, we give up vacation time, time with our families all to work more under extremely high pressure and stress.
We have been laid off, downsized, right-sized, merged, acquired and relabeled if not worse! We’ve given all and gotten little back. We’ve been told to work in teams, collaborate, innovate and do more with less.
We’ve been told repeatedly, the 40-year career with the same company you join after college doesn’t exist any more. There are no more gold watches, pensions and shared support between company and employee. It’s every company and every employee for themselves.
The average length of stay in a position or company is 2 to 3 years! By the time we find a job we’re already having to think about our next job.
Like the majority of us, we’re sitting in a cubicle, disconnected, doing the minimum and waiting until retirement – even if we don’t want to admit it publicly.
We do it so our kids can have the precious opportunity for a chance to have something better than we had, more options, a better chance.
It is a universal hope and prayer that our children have it better than us.
How many times has it actually been better though?
Let’s be honest.
Very Rarely is the answer.
The majority of the time, our children, sitting proudly in their caps and gowns listening some inspirational dream message will end up where we are now – in a cubicle, disconnected and wondering when it will be 5 p.m, hoping to give their child a better chance.
How will it really turn out for them?
Will they have just enough too?
Personal Reflection
I challenge you to have an honest conversation with yourself when you answer these questions. You don’t have to provide your answers to this post but truly take a few minutes and be honest when you think about them.
Do you feel energy and passion when you pull into your work’s parking lot every morning?
Does your job make you feel fulfilled?
Is it gratifying?
Do you like your co-workers….all of them?
Do you feel like your company has your best interest at heart and will take care of you?
When you set your goals for performance each year, are they really the goals you want to work on or are they what your manager says you need to work on?
Do you really trust your job to be there for you?
Do you feel 100% job secure?
Are you sure one day you won’t come in and be let go?
Are you paid what you’re worth?
How Honest Were You?
The majority of American workers fall into this sad scenario:
You do enough not to get fired and are getting paid just enough so you don’t quit
Wow, that sounds like the magic stuff inspirational dreams are made of right?
Is it Possible to Break the Chain?
Can it be different? Can we change the “chance for better” into a “promise for better?”
Can we show our children how it’s done instead of leaving it to chance?
I don’t have the answer but I know the cycle of cubicle life won’t break without trying.
What is possible is to take matters in your hands and take control of your destiny. Even if it is the tiniest of steps and no one else sees it. You have to do it. That part of the inspirational commencement speech is right. It’s up to you.
What’s the Options?
I started a side business as a way to start building my way out of the cubicle and break this cycle. I’m not there yet but I see it coming together.
It’s been hard work. It is always on my mind and heart. I’ve seen enough progress to know it can happen if I keep at it. I feel passion for it and am energized when I get a few minutes to work on it.
Network Marketing may not be for you. I didn’t think it was for me either but then I realized compared to other options it was very workable for where I wanted to be and it complimented well with other things I could also do to further diversify my income.
It’s enabling me to be my own boss with minimal dollars invested
It’s not what we stereotypical think or were told it was about sleazy sales and minimum commissions for half-wit products that don’t sell, in fact it’s pretty lucrative, rewarding and extremely good products
I can actually help people and pay it forward directly instead of a blind paycheck deduction
I can vote, support, and voice my opinion without a corporation telling me I must align to their way of thinking and support causes they believe are worthy, political candidates they say are better and so on. I can actually form my own opinions and not risk my job doing so
I can set my own goals. Goals that matter, goals that are actually for my better and the future I want. Goals I care about!
It is work. I won’t lie about that. Right now it takes up a lot of extra time but it’s an investment towards the inspirational dream that we tell our children exists out in the world. That dream we encourage them to chase. That precious opportunity for better. Rather than just telling them it exists, SHOW them it is truly achievable and possible. SHOW them it’s worth doing.
Interested in more?
If you’re ready to start building your chain out of the cubicle, contact me. I’m happy to show you what I have found is working and collaborate with you on ideas that support your vision of the inspirational dream.
Don’t let your soul die in a cubicle any longer. It’s time to find your dream and live it. Let the passion you have within you drive you to your destiny. Hold tight to your dreams.
amyk@dragonspitapothecary.com
my.doterra.com/dragonspitapothecary
Comments