“Is This It?”
Even the most fulfilling jobs can leave us asking this very
important question
By Chaz Kyser, Special to THE BLACK COLLEGIAN
Even the most fulfilling jobs can leave us asking
the “Is this it?” question at the end of the work day. Work, eat and
sleep—is this it? Get my paycheck twice a month—is this it? Have some
good days and some bad ones—is this it? Is this what I’m supposed to do
for the rest of my adult life? Is this what I went to college for—to
save up for retirement?
While getting started in your career you may find
that much of your time is spent just getting used to working for a
living. Still, the “is this it?” feeling can begin to creep into your
heart very early on.
While some people may tell you with downcast eyes
and a smirk, “Yep, this is about it,” the truth is that whether this is
going to be about it or not depends on you.
Ask yourself how you perceive your job and your
career. Why are you waking up to an annoying alarm clock five days out
of the week? If you’re doing it just to pay the bills, or because your
mom, dad and the rest of the working world told you “everyone works,”
then sooner or later you’ll be asking the question “is this it?” too.
But if you view your job as a powerful and
enjoyable tool to living out your dreams, and if you understand that
your career is just a part of what hopefully is and will continue to be
an interesting and exciting life, then the baffling “is this it?”
question may evolve into “what else is there?”
What else will enrich my life? What else will help
give my life meaning? What else will help me fulfill my purpose? What
else can I look forward to in the morning? The funny thing is that
there’s an endless amount of “what elses” in the world—so if you
dedicate your life to seeking out beneficial things to be a part of,
you’ll never even think to ask the “is this it?” question.
You have to seek out adventures, no matter how big
or small, that appeal to you and warrant your time and energy. Look at
the broader picture of your life, beyond work and bills. Ask yourself
what else you can be doing at this point in time to bring you more
enjoyment.
If they have the time and some extra change, some
people travel. Others enrich someone else’s life through volunteering.
Do you have a hobby or rarely used talent—drawing, writing,
choreography, singing, ice-skating? Cultivate that hobby or talent and
use it to inspire others or make some extra money. Is there an issue
you feel strongly about—abused and neglected children, the homeless, the
waste of tax payer’s money, voter apathy, black American’s lack of
economic empowerment? Talking about the situation won’t change it, but
getting involved in the cause can change you and society. There are
thousands of things you can be a part of besides your employer’s staff.
Seek out those things and consider them just as important as your job,
and even more so for your sense of well-being and purpose.
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