Because of those jobs, millions of employees spend countless hours during their work week
- commuting to and from the office each day
- answering & returning phone calls
- sending & responding to emails
- organizing meetings/sitting in on meetings/scheduling follow-up meetings
- and our favorite... being stuck in an upright sedentary position while pushing papers and tappity-tapping on our computer keyboards within the confines of our designated work spaces. Sound familiar? We thought so.
If the above bullet points happen to be an accurate (or somewhat similar) description of your "typical day at the office," here's a thought-provoking question for you to ponder:
Is this reason why Americans are in such a rush as children and adolescents to grow up... to ultimately become one of the dime-a-dozen drones of a bustling beehive that we call our career?
During my college years I firmly believed that was the sole purpose of earning a degree. You do 4 years of time in the classroom, accept your diploma, head out into the workforce, and patiently climb your way up the totem pole until you reach the top. Well from personal experience over the past decade I've changed my views on that whole "grow-up-and-work-9-to-5-until-you-retire" philosophy.
Why? Because I've concluded that while masses of Americans still contribute years of relentless devotion to one company in hopes that he/she will someday become "the boss," there is also a select few people out there who are capable of finding wealth & success elsewhere-- by being their OWN boss. I happen to fall into the latter category, thanks to Corporate America... And here's how I made that discovery:
As a former rodent of several 9-to-5-type jobs in the past I too, ran vigorously in my hamster wheel (in other words, worked in a cubicle) for hours on end, year after year... going through the monotonous motions of my required duties daily, only to come back the next day and perform the same routine for the same result and the same pay. Were these jobs challenging enough to broaden my horizons intellectually or financially? No. But was it steady income? Yes, so I naively kept plugging away. Little did I know that Corporate America (whom I trusted to take care of me in exchange for all my hard work) had no intentions of retaining me in its business arena for the long haul.
As a result you are abruptly left with no job, zero stake in the company, you are stripped of your healthcare & retirement benefits and of course, you have no Plan B to fall back on (since you've devoted yourself wholeheartedly to this organization all these years).
This unfortunate scenario actually happened to my own father, several of our colleagues here at PR Whores , many of our previous coworkers (which is why we obviously no longer work together), and even to me personally. More than once. Sounds insane, right?
The character of Garden Greene in the 1997 film Con Air offers an interesting interpretation of what he considers "insane." Greene explains it like this:
“What if I told you insane was working 50 hours a week in some office for 50 years at the end of which they tell you to piss-off... [then you end] up in some retirement village, hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time… Wouldn't you consider that to be insane?"
Interestingly enough, Greene's take on insanity seems to bear a huge resemblance to the real-life situations both men & women have had to endure, thanks to Corporate America.
Based on the frustrations I harbored because of my unpredictable employment setbacks, I decided in 2009 to start my own LLC. In a matter of just months I had a full-fledged marketing/promotions/consulting company, an official web site, snazzy business cards & all my social media accounts set up. I rapidly began partnering up with businesses of any shape and size (from the fitness industry to copy editing/writing to brand ambassador marketing to promotional spokes modeling, you name it). In less than one year of my company's inception, I was earning more money in one week than I used to bring home in two weeks as a salaried employee. Today my organization is contracted by more businesses simultaneously than I can count on two hands. What a much better dilemma to be faced with, instead of the fear of spontaneously becoming unemployed.
I'll be the first to admit-- Losing my job(s) unexpectedly was an extremely indelible (not to mention humbling) experience. The good news, however, is that over time I've auspiciously been able to bounce back and gravitate much closer toward my true calling in life.
Prior to becoming my own boss I originally perceived Corporate America as evil... for suddenly letting me go from jobs and for being so apathetic about my record of dismissals from the 9-to-5 scene. What I didn't realize though, was that Corporate America was in fact liberating me from all those desk jobs... and simply handing me lemons. For those two reasons I am now eternally grateful for who and where I am today.
Sure... We can be at the mercy of our employers for our entire lives if we so desire, and continue living to work instead of working to live. But if you opt for that particular route be sure to ask yourself: Is your current position at your office what you believe to be your true calling in life? Are you 100% confident that your immediate supervisor/the CEO of your company has your best interests at heart? Could you count on the "big wigs" at this organization to help you pay your bills and feed your family if you were to be pink-slipped TOMORROW? And after asking yourself these questions... If you find yourself in a state of uncertainty about your occupational fate in any capacity, then perhaps this is an opportune time for you to seek greener vocational pastures. Just in case.
In this dreary economy our PR Whores staff unanimously believes there is no one will be unconditionally dedicated to furnishing you with an eternal salary or a life of infinite enrichment in this world... but YOU.
So the moral of the story is this: If Corporate America hands you lemons, you know what to do: Simply utilize the resources you have been given as well as the knowledge you have gained over time, and manifest that into a refreshing vat of lemonade.
Cheers!
--The PR Whores
For information about the PR Whores Online Reputation Management firm visit: PRWhores.com
References: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118880/quotes
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