It’s is true for many of us in the world, our current reality virtually enslaves into a system where we must work to survive. Working is the only way we can put food on our tables, roofs over our heads and clothes on our backs. Due to the vast amount of people all competing for work, it is very rare that we can truly do things we love to do as we get stuck with what’s left.
It seems dull doesn’t it? This is where I feel we can shift our perception to make best of the situation we are living in right now. I would be the first to say that our system is in dire need of a big overhaul. The massive gears of the system need turning still and we are the pieces that keep them going. Until we are able to make enough of a global conscious shift in the way we see our world, it is likely the case that many of us will still need to work to survive. It is true that the system is like this due to the greed of a few. It is true that it doesn’t have to function this way. But it is ultimately true that our perception of the work we do can also change the experience entirely while it’s still around.
I am in my mid twenty’s and can hear the voices now “You don’t know what you are talking about when it comes to work. When you’ve worked 30 years of your life then come talk to me.” Bluntly put, I feel this statement is nothing more than a cop out as we refuse to change our ways. I have worked A LOT in my life. Each summer in high school I worked full time for Yellow Pages. From there I swapped between dropping out of college programs and into more office jobs until I finally quit 4 years ago to take CE full time. I worked with people who had worked for 25 years+ at the same job. I got to know them, understand them and hear all about what got them to the point they were at. It did not take any form of rocket science to figure out that the sheer judgement we have towards our jobs and working is what creates the greatest amount of suffering.
If you are unhappy about your job and are looking to find some joy in it, here are a few ways to achieve that.
Judgement
Much like you feel terrible when you sit and judge or gossip about people for hours, doing this with our job is the same thing. We cringe at the idea of waking up in the morning, seeing the people there, and doing the mundane work that might be involved. We think we are better than it, that it’s stupid and we can half ass our way through it. As we judge it we make it worse and worse and in the end we make ourselves miserable. Stop judging your job and see it for a task that simply needs to be done at this point. When you do this, the environment, the people, the job and your own joy will transform dramatically. Before I finally left work 4 years ago, I told myself that I would not leave until I could find peace in what I was doing. Once I did I stuck it out for another 6 months. During those 6 months I can say that I did not dread waking up and going to work. I didn’t hate it and when I finally left, it was like walking through a different door that was open already due to my state of peace.
Control
One thing I always find interesting about work complaining is that most of us complain like no tomorrow about the silly job we have and how it’s not fun and stressful. What we haven’t realized yet, is that if our job is able to create that much challenge in our lives, then we are right where we need to be. Think about it, if the “silly” job is creating so much distress, isn’t it time we begin to realize we are the ones who hold the issues? Our job can pull us from peace? Our job can make us unhappy and stressed? Or is it possible that we take some of it too seriously — or that we aren’t open to adjusting and instead getting stuck in a place of suffering. We have much more control over our state while working than we think. Take the time to look at what exactly makes you unhappy about your job and what you are doing. It often becomes quite clear that we are resisting some form of it or are still caught judging it. Work beyond it and once again there will be peace on the other side.
Find Your Joy
I put this one last because I feel it in some ways should be looked at after we observe the judgement and challenges. I say this because sometimes we can miss out on a great deal of growth by running from what exists within us through fear of not being honest with ourselves. When it comes to having to work and do a job, try to find something you find joy in and just go after it. So often we get caught in the idea that we have to stay where we are and we leave our dreams aside. If you know something brings you joy, make the move to try it out, you can always find some other way to make things work. Once again, I say this at the end as sometimes it’s simply not an option for us RIGHT NOW to make the move, so that is why finding peace and removing judgment in what we are doing now is so important. My feeling is, if you are able to find peace in what you do now, doors open up everywhere for you to make moves forward.
At the end of the day, working and jobs are here for now. We are not better than them, above them nor are they not still providing us with valuable lessons to grow from. A change is happening and in time things will transform. While this change occurs, our level of suffering when it comes to jobs is entirely in our control.
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How do you propose that we provide for ourselves? a Collectivist society will not work, technology has created a system and earth of chaos that needs to be ordered. I agree a great conscious shift is coming and people will understand this, but only with DIRECTION can this truly be accomplished. Sustainability has been a humanistic crutch for thousands of years and there are too many people ground into this reality to say that we should not work. Of course we need to work but in a different sense, we need to work for each other much like the amish do. We also need to encourage free thought much like socratic method. AGAIN how does all this happen? Simple ideas are one thing, changing the minds of billions of people to stray from the pre-conditioned path is something entirely different.
Ako, the point he was making was changing our perspective to the work that we must do now. He wasn’t proposing we not work. :/
pre-conditioned to get in a car accident, for sure.
Read the book Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. It will help you see the direction our culture need to go in.
Ever heard of the Venus Project?
http://www.thevenusproject.com
Yea.I think its a great idea but it will never happen.man doesn’t want equality.the Venus project will make us equal.man needs to change what’s in him before that could happen.
The Venus Project may or may not happen but rest assured that due to technological unemployment we are starting to see the death trows of the current system and the birth of something new. Just like every birth is painful so will this one be but it is up to US how the product of that birth turns out. If we truly want a VP it will happen but if we say it will never happen and use that as the excuse to do nothing then some other system will come in and take it’s place and it will most likely be a rehash of the current system or something worse. So chin up and fight because it’s the only way we will make it happen. Tell everyone you know about The Venus Project and resource based economies and when you run out of people to tell go tell strangers, if they don’t know about it they can’t get behind it.
“But it will never happen…” seems defeatist. For some, not being able to see the possibility hinders believing in it, and subsequently makes it more difficult for the individual to do what he/she needs to do.
There’s always a way out – you have to work toward it, and create your own path. I no longer have a nine to five – I’m living in a foreign country, being paid to develop innovative technology – on my own terms. It’s about attitude (like you said), and largely about a leap of faith, that, simply put, not many are willing to take. Keep writing inspirational pieces and affecting those who read them in a positive and empowering way.
Some do not know that other options are out there for them to explore, we have to introduce them to a different way of thinking. Some will see things differently afterward and some may not approve.
Excellent article. I find myself trying to live by these ideas everyday, and trying to help workmates and friends to change their attitudes to work as well. I presently work at a very tough job that brings me no joy, but I am working on the side to start a small jewelry business, so I stay focused on the bigger picture and it makes the whole agreeable. I’m able to stay positive and see my work as a challenge, and not a burden.
Nice article Joe, I think the more we let go, and stop “doing” all these things that the ego thinks we should do, that allows a space for the real creative force to come in and guide us.
The global population has doubled in 40 years from 3.5 to 7 billion. More, whole continents have joined the global jobs market through globalisation and the fall of state socialism. The result is a huge amount of job competition, which global capital has taken advantage of. 40 years ago, workers in the West had some leverage to improve conditions – today we are competing against Chinese and Indians. So, yes, its tough. It’s good to have individual strategies to deal with this, but we also need a collectivist vision of how to produce a society that works for the majority and not the 1 %. It’s a cliche but capitalism will always grind people to produce the maximum surplus unless some outside force intervenes, or the workers themselves organise to improve conditions. That’s not happening because of social and political changes over the last 30 years. I really don’t know the answer but perhaps more people need to find ways to develop sustainable independent living outside the corporate system. It is tough to opt out as security is hard to come by when all the land and wealth is concentrated in so few hands. That’s why we must fight for a return of the commons. No one should be able to monopolise land and wealth to the detriment of millions. That’s what has happened all over the world.
Wow, I thought the original post was pretty insightful and inspiring but this is equally as moving!
Great summary!
An excellent summary.
The idea of working or not working is an academic one. There will always be problems to overcome or projects needing solutions so “work” will always be with us after a fashion. However, we do not need to waste our lives in the mundane drudgery that we call work today. I propose a Resource Based Economic model where boring and repetitive tasks are automated so that we can concentrate on the truly important things like providing abundance and high quality to all of our basic needs while maintaining a natural and sustainable equilibrium with the the planet and it’s inhabitants. To do this we need to eliminate scarcity and to effectively eliminate scarcity we must eliminate money for it is the driving force behind all the problems we have today. If we eliminate the profit motive we eliminate the root cause of 95% of all crimes. Make education free and encourage the worlds populace to do what they are passionate about to the benefit of our fellow man and in turn instead of money to buy the things you need you will be rewarded with the contributions of everyone else. Money is no longer necessary. We live in an age where we have access to clean abundant energy and the wealth of knowledge of our entire human history at our finger tips yet we rely on outdated concepts like the hoarding of resources and ideas that would benefit everyone and for what, the promise of earning enough money to purchase things that already belong to us. The social experiment known as the arguably “free” market has been shown to be a failure and what’s more a hindrance. If you don’t think so ask yourself why if we produce enough food every year to feed nearly three times the world”s population then why do a third of them suffer from starvation and malnutrition. If your answer is “Well, there’s not enough money to feed all of them” you would be right. We have more than enough food but not enough money. You tell me where the problem is.
Iriah..well said..sounds like you’ve seen The Zeitgeist Movement.
Well said ,but u forgot to mention that to eliminate the money we have to eliminate those behind the money because they are still very hungry . Peace
Great summary.
Iriah – a point well made. We already live in an age of abundance but capitalism (or the money system) requires scarcity in order to function. Madness that too many people buy into because they have been programmed to believe ‘this is as good as it gets’
WOW. you spoke right to me. thank you so much for writing this article. this past summer, i decided to take the “Two week vacation” and go to greece. initially, i wasnt going to go because, 2 weeks just seemed a short time. but i felt i deserved it and i made the most of it. just being out of the country again- away from 9-5, i gained a different perspective. i came back to new york and saw things so differently. i saw the rat race for what it was. i thought to myself- if money were no object- what would i do? once i gave myself this freedom, the answer was easy. i am still at my 9-5 but i know its not forever. thank you for the bit on “judgement” and “control.” you are so right about it and i am grateful for the reminder. :)!
The great article and the very truth. At the moment when you stop hating some thing and simply observe it, it starts vanishing. The hate is nothing else than the hidden fear, which attracts whatever you fear . Thanks
It’s not the work, but the idiots and asleep people you have to work with.
Excellent points maybe I won’t quit my day job just yet, excellent blog keep up the good work.
Thank you Joe,
Nicely put, it is only perspective that we need to find our lessons. I was in a similar position, I love the job I do, I didn’t love the people I worked with, once I started to see that it was me that was creating and manifesting my work surroundings, things started to change. I believe our minds/society keeps us in the have not… once we realize all is well and lessons are being taught, we change our view of where we are and what we are doing. I believe it frees us to create abundance… and abundance isn’t only monetary, it is joy as well… when your happy all things are good… listen to your heart, it’s truth, it’s love..besides…. I don’t want to be miserable… I want to be happy!!!!
Joe, You are one on-to-it cookie … thank you for your insights, I really enjoyed your article! So perfect that we don’t need to change our external World – only our internal world. The way we perceive things, judge things, think of things … and of course, as anyone who has done this will testify … only then do you actually begin to see real changes in Your external World begin to take place. Love this reminder!
Great summary, u got it and I’m trying :-):-)
reminded me of bukowski
http://colourizeyourworld.com/2011/08/11/the-laughing-heart-by-charles-brukowski/
Joe what you are saying is not totally incorrect if the world were as malleable as you believe it to be, but it is now dependent upon it’s current design of operation. Waking people up is a definite way to get change to take effect, but it will be slow, generationally slow. A way to kick start the process is to convince people the Rockefeller/Orwellian School Board system in place for teaching is inefficient and needs to change. The current system of engaging young minds does not work and there are many examples out there to prove there are other ways to entice young minds. This is one step on one path that could lead to change, there are others, but our current education system is a start.
The culture of work is changing – albeit slowly. It’s obvious not everyone is in their dream career, but it’s also painfully obvious “how” people are expected/required to work contributes to this negativity – lack of control. I agree about seeing work as a task, but most org. cultures do not manage as such.
Orgs are managing people instead of the work. “Be here at 9.” “You can’t take vacation at that time” “You only get 15 minute breaks.”
Not everyone learns the same, works the same, or has the same aspirations or lifestyles. Therefore, if more freedom were given to the people to best determine how to meet org objectives (success) and enjoy their life (fulfillment), less negative judgment may also occur.
this was an inspiring article
Lots of interesting reads….more disturbed than I was when I woke up this morning….how do any of these good ideas go forward? A miracle, perhaps.
Unless You Have Worked Many Years And Are OLDER You Have No Clue How It Really Is!!! Experiense is The Teacher!!!Peace&Love Skip
you have solved the puzzel,you have put it across so clear,yhanks i will shear
I am a cashier and have been doing it for more years than I care to say, but I love my job and do it as best I can everyday….I smile at my customers, ask about their day! If they are repeat customers and I know a little about them, I always ask them how the situation is, be it something happy or something sad. I love knowing that I have made someone feel better and consoled them in some small way. They are my living and how I why I get paid. I always say “I can not believe they pay me for having this much fun!”
This is a rather simplistic, unrealistic view of working. Having worked 30 years – including a field I enjoy, I’ve watched as our entire system has eroded. Once, I had great benefits and my job was stimulating and sometimes fun. Now, we’re being primed for a “slave labor” role with our wages and benefits cut, but working twice as hard. Margaret Bell is a prime example of someone who has been programmed to not only accept, but love a job that provides only enough on which to survive.
Work has become a living hell in which all “human resources” are expendable and CEOs resent having to pay a living wage and benefits. I worked for the media – a major Chicago newspaper that axed 75% of its workforce over 5 years. Administration lied, cheated and fired people undergoing chemotherapy for cancer and pregnant women. Boom! No benefits. They might well have said, “We don’t care about you – just die.” It’s not a good time to be a wage slave.
Thanks for a nice article Joe and also liked Josie’s comments…
Yeah, this says we should be happy with what we have and when referring to the “workforce” I disagree. The masses shouldn’t have to find joy in working to earn little pay to obtain something that is their birthright. Such as food for an example.
The idea is not to simply find joy and stay there, but instead, don’t create an even worse experience for yourself by letting thoughts and emotions control your state. By finding levels of peace in whatever we are doing, we can more easily make decisions and navigate our lives. The issue right now is, too many of us are trapped in our emotions and our minds and egos are in the drivers seat our whole lives.. when you step out of that your consciousness shifts. This changes your entire world and outlook on life.
Joe Martino
Your article might not help me physically in my current job issues BUT it showed a light in my darkest moments at work. You gave a very fresh, new perspective about my work. I admit that I still care for my job and our workplace situation since I am currently happy with my very kind and smart lady doctor; however, after some whole “fights” with my new manager a.k.a. the clinic’s current & original owner, I deeply realized that family and work don’t mix up very well. I can see that the owner wants us to be not just his employees but also his family as well. Unfortunately, I felt that kind of view would cause overstepping of boundaries from the employees’ part. Mom was right that I should know my place because I’m just an average employee with many limitations in life. So far, my major moral lesson in enduring these changes at my workplace is to consider pursuing to be a librarian when I go back to schooling next year. I’m still a simple, ordinary girl who can’t endure exciting yet full-of-worry turmoils in a certain job in the long run. I would rather pursue a quiet, solitary life with absolute or almost no disruptions.
I will surely follow your advice but it will take time on my part since old habits die hard. Thank you for the article.
TBH i am not a fan of the ‘we are to blame because of our reaction to circumstances’ that is a cop out big time. Its a license to allow any negative situation and believe its US at fault. does not feel right to me.
Honestly, I work In general retail and once I started to care less about the work i do, and the customers i deal with, the happier i felt and the better i did my job. Not saying i didn’t care for my customers problems or opinions, but i stopped taking their actions and attitudes so seriously. Also the same with the work i do. Once i stopped worrying about how hard it would be or how long it would take, it didn’t bother me. I did it a lot eaier and a bit faster. (: I will admit, i do still dread going to work from time to time, but not as much as i use to. But, i would definitely love a job in something i enjoy or love doing.
Good article. But work a decade of physical labor to pay rent and put a child through school, providing for a family on constrution wages and achingly abusing your body just to meek through life hoping your child has it better than you is a old concept that once had value but does no more.half of america works its fingers to the bone while the other half lives on their taxes and contributes absolutely nothing but degradation of society. Am I tired? Oh yes more than anyone who has never worked their life away for mediocre wages on the hope that the generation after them would never have to experience the pain and sorrow ive endured. Walk in that shoe then read this article..many of us forfeited our dreams so our children could make a living without breaking their back to provide for a family. And what we got is a disgrace to the concept of the progression of society.didnt intentionally plan to rant about the downfall of the american dream as is what I see of the work ethics of late. Sorry but just my two cents