The rat race. The fast track. The old grind. The same ol' same ol'--whatever you call it, a lot of people are looking for a way out. Many today have a sense that their lives are not their own, that they have few choices and little power over their own destinies. They sense their lives getting away from them, moving at a frantic pace they feel powerless to control. They feel trapped in the rat race--forcing themselves, day after day, to do work they find neither meaningful nor fulfilling.
We have been told that the rat race is the road to success. Yet many today have an idea of success different from those of previous generations. For these people, success is not defined exclusively in economic terms but includes the opportunity to express their innate talents and abilities, to be creatively engaged (not simply to show up), to feel as though they are making a meaningful difference, and to integrate their spiritual values with the everyday business of working and making a living. Moreover, today there is a growing realization that an unhappy experience at work has profound psychological and social costs....
A growing number of people are expecting to find a place for their heart and soul in their work, a place to express their unique talents and abilities. They want a greater sense of joy and meaning in their work. While growing rapidly, this group is, to be sure, still a minority of workers. Yet all great social movements begin with minorities, courageous pioneers who blaze trails that the less adventurous are later able to tread....
The redefinition of work will be one of the great tests of human creativity in the 21st century. It has been estimated that 75 percent of all jobs involve the kind of repetitive functions that can be replaced by computers or machines. In the economically developed nations, new technologies and the exportation of jobs to the "developing nations" have meant the elimination of millions of jobs. In the Third World, the introduction of large-scale farming has pushed and will likely continue to push billions into the cities, where there are too few jobs and inadequate infrastructure and housing to absorb them humanely.
Unless we are to face global unemployment on a truly horrific scale or the prospect of a virtual slave class of low-paid workers, new kinds of work must be created. This new work will not be created by the government, but neither will it come from the private sector, if we mean by that the massive global corporations. It will be created, if at all, by individuals. It will be born of their inspirations, compassion and natural talents. The problem is not so much one of "putting people to work" as it is of empowering them to work--unleashing and not repressing their innate creative powers.
Laurence Boldt is a writer and career consultant.
This is an issue about which I have been concerned for years. People seemed to abandon the responsibility for making a life for themselves somewhere in the 40's or 50's, and gave that task to the great fathomless pit of giant corporations and the government. I remember one of the massive government lay-offs of the 70's, and of the R & D department of my husband's company in the 70's, and thinking, "Now what are they going to do?" Those who were clever created careers for themselves where they were their own bosses. It made an impression on me. Some of them have done very well. Ben & Jerry come to mind. They set out to do a thing, they did it, and they retired at early ages to do other things they wanted to do. I think everyone needs to look inward and seek out that hidden potential that is just waiting to be recognized. Teach it to your children. Find someone who has done something creative and worthwhile and ask them how they did it. Find several and look for the common thread. And pray, always, for the leadership and inspiration of Holy Spirit.
Yes, yes yes!
I do not comment very often, but I want you to know that I appreciate all your comments very much and read them every day. Thank you for sending them.
Jeanne.
Jonathan Edwards' Resolutions: and Advice to Young Converts. This is a subject/book that I was introduced to this morning by a friend of mine on face book. One of the common threads of the resolutions is "to God's glory". I get so caught up in what I want that i forget to look at what I might be doing that would be "to God's glory".
One time, when I was talking to my Uncle H.R., he asked me - "What do you think of the war in the mid east?" My answer was that "I didn't think we should have gotten into it in the first place." His immediate reply was, "Well, Deanna Jean, now that we are in it, what do you think now?" Loved my uncle, but boy, sometimes.
With work, I think that as times grows shorter before the second coming, no matter how long we have left, and people have a greater need to tend their soul, that a reframing of how we see the life we do have is a priority.
Sometimes, we can change our choices we made based on the data we had earlier in life, and sometimes we can't. I like, and quoted a few days ago here on I/O, the Serenity Prayer: the Serenity to accept the things we can not change, the Courage to change the things we can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.
With a growing number of people wanting to find a place in their work for their heart and soul, no matter whether the numbers of people are in the minority or the majority, it indeed is the time to reframe our lives.
I am going to start by working through the resolutions of Johnathan Edwards, and see where that leads me.
Deanna Jean
I just got back from a trip and caught up on the i/o's while I was gone. Strangely, this issue about work was really on my mind. I quit a day job that was draining me significantly for lots of reasons--some mentioned above. I was doing some visualizations about exactly the kind of issues this passage refers to. We all deserve to be doing activities that we are passionate about---and that could be a cleaning business!It doesn't have to be high falutant. But we need the pasion and love in our work to satisfy us. I am still "working" on this one! It was great to read the comments over the last week.
I so agree. Think of the little boys who want to be garbage men but parents smile then steer into white collar work. Etc. Variety seems to be Gods essence in creativity- every kind of work is needed to keep our world & communities functioning....
How much more interesting it is/would be to notice & affirm our children's odd & noticeable attractions & interests & then encourage & watch as some activity "works" its way from that way of spending time! Barbara Sher in "Wishcraft" says none of us had perfect parents, so I say- start now & reparent ourselves starting with paying attention to what pastimes give us energy & joy ... & then ask God if there's something more we could be doing to develop that/follow that trail.
I struggle with this issue on a daily basis . . . I feel that God want to do more with me but we all have to work. I look for opportunities to reach people at work and set the example of a Godly man while working. That will have to suffice for now.
Being fulfilled is important but fulfilling God's plan for us to reach others can be done anywhere at anytime. Maybe that's why I'm where I am and you are where you are?
May we all be the Salt and Light he needs us to be!
How happy and productive one can be if he/she could find a job which caters to their innate quality!
I like to draw your attention to the words of "could" and "innate quality". I used the word "could" because such an ideal job opportunity is made available only when the general economy reaches a certain stage of growth. To my fellow citizens living where a job opportunity is limited, my advice is to look for the one to match closely your innate talents and abilities. Income should be of a secondary consideration if it satisfies your basic economic requirements. The final success in life is to fulfill what you are. Talking about innate talents and abilities, my experience tells me that they are not always creative and oriented to the goodness. Some people are never motivated to make a progress just being happy with the status quo, good or bad.
This is a provocative, wonder-filled prospect - to view work as a part of God's ongoing act of creation through us! We create work based on equal parts of what is needed & what we are drawn to by the gifts & nature we were created/born with.
Only struggle is with what we were taught about practicality, & limits we set for ourselves based on limited parental & societal influences. No wonder Jesus was so strong in teachings about leaving human family behind when it's time to follow him.
Post new comment