Dream Job?

Dream Job

Have you heard some people saying how excited they are and how much they can’t wait to get out of bed each morning to take up whatever challenges the day brings? Is there such a thing as a dream job? Do dream jobs exist at all? How does one find out what job would give them the get-up-and-go, each and every day, imbuing oneself with renewed energy each waking day?

The main thing lies in knowing oneself. By truly knowing your likes and dislikes and the ratio one is willing to trade time and skills for money, we have arrived at the answer. There are some who are willing to do something they are adept at, but not necessarily happy with, for copious amounts of money. The amount of money they receive is greater than the unhappiness they feel at work. There are yet others who are willing to work next to nothing or for the bare minimal because they feel they are contributing to society or doing something they really love.

But for the most of us, we work at reasonably paying jobs which we are sufficiently skilled in, yet not particularly excited about. The majority of us would find ourselves “stuck” in this “limbo”, neither be very happy or unhappy about our current situation, where most of the time, we look forward to the end of each working day and the payout at the end of every month. The amount of money we receive is just enough to cover our unhappiness, boredom or lack of interest at work.

This group of people usually engages in hobbies or certain activities to indulge in after working hours and spend a portion of their salary to seek happiness, outside of work. This may include visiting nice restaurants, buying an item or two to “reward” oneself seeking that short-term thrill of shopping or travelling.

This category of people are the worst of the lot, being unmotivated and more often than not, perform at their minimum capacity, wasting their potential or whiling away their time while lamenting what a lousy job/boss/pay/colleagues they have. It is a vicious cycle. The average job does not incite any passion in the individual, causing the individual to put in the minimum, giving little back to the individual who in turn, has no desire to better himself within the job and possess no desire to improve oneself, at least in the aspect of their job.

Our life is short and we have but one life. What can we do to make our short stint on Earth worthwhile? Aren’t we supposed to live up to our potential and contribute our part to society, no matter how small? We need not be as compassionate as Mother Theresa, as famous as Marilyn Monroe, as talented as Charles Dickens or as intelligent as Thomas Edison, but most people possess a redeeming factor or something that they are good at.

But what if, what if, we discover that we are not particularly good at anything? What if we search and search and do not find ourselves skilled or talented in any one area? Or do the so-called experts refer to identifying something we are slightly better at and work on it so that we eventually become better at it one day?

I’m beginning to think that it is a trick for everyone to find something they find bearable and keep doing it till they are adept at it and use it to earn a living. Trick or not, since not many people get to inherit huge sums of money or assets, working hard appears to be the only way for most of us to obtain a decent living.

So for those who are stuck in the rut, stop running around like blind mice. The new year is the time to stop and ponder for a moment what you are doing to your precious time. Are you wasting each day complaining about your current situation yet doing nothing to enhance it? Are you truly contented with what you are doing with your life? If you do not feel a sense of fulfillment with your life, it is time to take stock of the factors contributing to your unhappiness or the inertness within.

When you are happy with your life, you will know it and it will show on your demeanour. We are not talking about an insane sense euphoria, living on a high every single day, every minute of the day. But you should at least feel a sense of accomplishment, contentment or happiness before you go to bed everyday. If you cannot honestly say that you are happy with what you are doing on a daily basis and do not see any purpose at the end of the tunnel, it’s time to do something about it.
There is no faking contentment. Contentment does not fall on one’s lap. As with all things on this universe, we have to work at it, nurture it and then enjoy the fruits of our labour. Such is the joy of living -- the payoff of hard work.