What I Love About My Job

I am writing this post as my entry to @emergehealthier's Steem Basic Income Contest to celebrate Labor Day. To enter this contest one must write a post discussing what he loves about his work. It may be about the regular work one does everyday, or one's work in Steemit, or even voluntary work. For this contest, I will be writing about what I love with my regular work.

Basically, my regular work is selling insurance. I would be what people will normally call an insurance agent. Somehow, Insurance companies have developed an aversion to this job description and now have flashier and fancier names to call people in my profession such as (a) Financial Consultant; (b) Investment Specialist; (c) Estate Preservation Authority; (d) Financial Leverage Analyst; (e) Assets and Savings Planner; and many more distinguished sounding designations. These job titles do sound very impressive and can bamboozle anyone into believing that I am an expert in the intricate world and machination of Finance and Investment. All I need is to wear a really smart business attire and people will believe anything I tell them. But this is not the part that I love about my job, although I always get a kick at observing how somebody's demeanor towards me would change when I tell him I do Financial Leverage analysis. Their expression goes something like, "Wow, heavy. Wonder what that is?"

A little background about my job history. I used to work for a family-owned corporation. The pay was good. The travel opportunities were even better. I was able to visit places I would only see in pictures and magazines. I've been to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Jamaica, US of A, Hongkong, and Thailand.

But despite these perks, I began to dislike my job. Why? You see I was at the beck and call of my boss(es). I had to be available to meet with them anytime of the day, including Saturdays and Sundays. I had to be at any place, province or city that they asked me to go to. Eventually, this arrangement took a toll on my family time as I began to see less and less of them. Eventually, I had to quit or my wife and kids were going to quit on me.

I told myself that in my next job, I will make sure I dictate my work hours and days. I wanted to make up for all the lost time with my family, especially with our youngest child, Jacinta, who was born 6 months premature and needed extra care and attention. To make the story short, I discovered selling life insurance.

After undergoing training and licensing, I was basically free to determine my hours of work. I could now set up appointments with prospects at times and days that I wanted to. I determine the number of calls I make to ensure that I will have more time with the kids and wife. And to top it all, we may be a lowly insurance agent in the eyes of many of our clients, but the pay is good and oftentimes, we earn more than our prospects and clients do.

And this is what I enjoy with the work I do. If I want to be busy, then I am. If I want to goof off, then I do. If I want to go to the beach with the family in the middle of the week, we go. If my wife says she wants me to take her shopping on a Tuesday morning, in 90% of the time I always am available. I don't have to call in sick or that I am on leave. No one is asking me to be where I do not want to be. Can a job be any better? And the pay? Does it really matter?

(All photos are courtesy of Pixabay)