Personal Development and the Working Person
Work has been given a bad rap
as of the last few years. If you are old enough to remember the old TV show Dobbie
Gillis,
you will remember Dobbie’s beatnik friend (if you are even older enough to
remember what a beatnik is), Maynard G. Krebs. The running gag was that any
time
the word “work” was mentioned,
Maynard would shout “WORK!” Back then it was a gag in a sitcom, today; sadly, it is
a reality in the lives of far too many.
Let’s understand that work is
not a punishment or something you are forced to do. Work is (or should be) a
pleasure and necessary to our being as a person. Former President Bill Clinton
said, “Work is about more than making a living, as vital as that is. It’s
fundamental to human dignity, to our sense of self-worth as useful,
independent, free people.”
Success-minded people believe
that if they are to achieve their goals and dreams in life, they must be
willing and excited to do the work they require. Nothing is free. Nothing! Everything
has a cost to someone and in one way or another, we have to pay for the things
we have in life. Success-minded people know this and take this responsibility
very seriously.
There are those who feel they
are entitled to a free ride in life. They seek out government assistance
thinking that it is free and the money they get is just government money or
some kind of “extra” that is available to whoever wants it. The fact is, the
government has no money of its own. All the government’s money comes from us,
the people. So, what people think they are taking from the government, they are
actually taking from their neighbors and friends.
But there are more important
issues about work that go beyond cash flow. Work gives us a sense of self-worth
and value as a person. When we feel that we have value as a human being, then
we are more willing to share that value with others. Success-minded people have
discovered that work can really make one feel good. There is a wonderful sense of
satisfaction and dignity that comes from doing your best for others.
This is why you will find that
people who value work tend to be more useful to others. It is the old saying,
“If you want something done, ask a busy person.” Why? Because people who are
busy are the ones who get things done.
We have opportunities to be
useful around us every day. Sometimes it can be as easy as opening a door for someone
and allowing them to enter a building before you. It can be helping a stranger
with a heavy load or picking up something they may have dropped. Useful tasks
do not have to be major projects you volunteer to do. In fact, most of them are
simple and not very difficult.
To discover how you can achieve the dream you have believed was
impossible for too long, read Getting
Personal: A Guide to Personal Development by John Patrick Hickey. You can get a signed copy for yourself and
get one for a friend, by going to http://www.johnpatrickhickey.com/it-is-good-to-set-goals-better-to-achieve-then/. Now available on Kindle, Oops! Did I Really Post That? Online
Etiquette in the Digital Age by John Patrick Hickey.
© 2016 John Patrick Hickey. No part of
this may be reprinted or published without permission of the author.
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