Dog walk diaries: Finding meaning

Do you work or, do you have a job? Is there a difference? A client today was saying that many of her friends are changing their positions, companies, retraining and finding something they like to do instead of what they have been doing. Mid-life crises?

Most people from a young age are encouraged to get a good job, get married, buy a house, have kids and any other generic paths you can think of. Parents say, do well at school so that your future is bright.

What is a good job? Is it one that satisfies buying or saving, one that supports relationships or, one that makes one feel like what one does makes a difference? Do you have a good job?

It seems that for many, after getting the house, car, kids and some savings they ask if there is mire or, is this it? They turn to their job and question if they enjoy what they do or if they are just doing it for the money.

Many that look objectively realise quite soon that, money has been the focus and even though they are comfortable financially, it isn't enough. Their kids are older and independent, the house is stable, they have achieved what their parents and academic advisors had planned for them but, something is missing.

Do they give up a career that was hard earned but unfulfilling to chase meaning? Should this be a question asked halfway through or, should it have been investigated at the start? Perhaps, it takes the experience of life to recognise that meaning is an important component of a satisfying life.

To me, meaning is an active path and, it can be found in any job, under any conditions. Of course, some make it easier to find than others but, work comes into it. As I see it, a job isn't necessarily work and vice versa. Ideally though, it would be great if one can satisfy the monetary requirements from having a job by working at what provides personal meaning. It isn't always so simple nor, potentially possible at all though.

This is why it is work. Work is a direction toward something one finds important and the journey itself is meaningful. A job is an act to provide money, not meaning. What one does with that money however could add meaning value.

It seems somewhat sad to think that the majority of people seem to have meaningless jobs, most for a lifetime. Perhaps instead of advising to get a good job, it should be, find something you are willing to work for. It doesn't even matter too much what that may be as as long as one experiences meaning in it, one will be content.

Working like this doesn't mean easy though as not much that means a lot is ever easy.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
_{(posted from phone)}