Do you know someone who hates their job? You probably do. I spoke with one over the weekend. My young friend, a college graduate, hates her job. At 25, she feels trapped and overwhelmed. But yet she trudges off to her job to earn her very modest income because she has student loan debt. Her dreams will have to be put on hold. That is, if she can keep them alive. She comes home from her job each day so exhausted, she has no energy to look for other opportunities. Or to create one for that matter.
Yes, these are difficult times in the job market. And many would commend her for sticking it out.
I’m not one of them.
I encouraged her to run for her life. Literally.
I meet too many people who started out like my young friend, 20-some years ago and today they are passed even feeling trapped. They’re shut down inside and can’t figure out why they’re so unhappy with their lives. They molder at jobs they despise and bosses they barely tolerate.
We are so trained in our culture to “do the responsible thing,” yes, even if it means a stress-related illness. “Be thankful you have a job,” we tell people. Hey- I get that. We were unemployed for six months last year!
But there’s something seriously wrong with this picture. Especially when we no longer question the insanity of this all-too-accepted reality.
This isn’t an easy road to follow. Mother Superior from The Sound of Music isn’t going to appear and serenade you with her soul-stirring rendition of “Climb Every Mountain.” It takes intentionality and a lot of work.
Like the frog in the pot of hot water, people are trained to grow accustomed to their misery.
I believe the training starts in school.
Filed under: education, Goal Setting, Personal development, Public schooling, The Mother Lode Project
