Will Work for Good.

Finding one’s passion is not always as easy as one would think. In fact, I have spent many hours thinking and dreaming of the “dream job” or “dream industry” for me. And let us be honest, I am all over the spectrum. From wanting to be an astronaut (true story) to wanting to open a frozen yogurt store, I’m what many would call a job-seeking disaster. But what really does “dream job” mean? If I am really honest with you, my dream job would be a life sans employment in which I still was paid ample amounts of money to just live life and do my thing. Dream on, right?

So, I’ve switched gears a little bit in my thinking. How about finding something that would allow me to truly evoke change in my immediate world? Yes, I know, our President and his spinster administration has given the term “change” a hugely negative connotation for many of us. However, what I’m saying here is what if the end all, be all worth of employment was not for measly personal satisfaction and a paycheck? What if – imagine with me here – our jobs were for the good of other people around us? What if, we saw our jobs as a way to enhance, enrich, and improve our little world as we know it?

I know what most of you are thinking: Yes, that’s a noble idea, but there is word for that kind of work: Non-profit – literal meaning: NO profit for you! Which, in some cases, is true. I worked for a non-profit for almost the last three years, and I will be the first to attest that not only is the work grueling, but the pay will provide you with enough to eat just that: GRUEL. So, I’m not saying let’s all quit our jobs and work for pennies at non-profits as I realize that is not feasible for everyone.

What I AM saying is what would happen if we changed our mentality and thought of our jobs as more than a way to improve our stature, our image, and bank account. Instead, what would it look like to use employment as a medium to literally work for good?  

Before I go on, stop and ask yourself, why do I work? I almost guarantee it is for one of the self-seeking reasons listed above. But, don’t feel bad! This is what our culture tells us our jobs are for: Money, stature, pride, worth, respect, etc.

In my current state of unemployment, one of the biggest lessons that I have learned is that no matter where you are, where you work, or the time of day, your life can be used to induce positivity (not a word, but it’s cool to make up words now). In consequence, when you see your world around you changing in an encouraging way, I truly believe you will start to enjoy your job in a whole new way.

In some of my previous rants, I’ve posed the question whether or not we are supposed to be miserable in our jobs and if jobs are inherently the embodiment of misery. I’ve concluded no on both accounts. Rather, we should be enjoying our work. However, the more I think and pray on this matter, I’ve realized that misery is a choice. On the surface, it may be true that our jobs are in fact awful and mundane. Who really wants to work and eat in a grey, stale cubicle? However, misery is not the product of our work, but our decision to be miserable. 

Our jobs may be mundane, the tasks may seem trivial, and spreadsheets and phone calls may seem like the devil personified. But, if we changed our thought pattern to reflect the “work for good” mantra wherever we are at in our professions, I believe our lives and jobs will change drastically for the better. And not only that, I think our small little world around us and those we know would shift for the better as well. Then -- in full circle here -- maybe we would enjoy our jobs and love what we do more than we ever have before. 

All of this from the ever-changing desk of the unemployed. Cheers!