I love your thoughts here regarding purpose and work. The push towards a purposeful life connected to work begins early, even in grade school. I remember being in high school and having purpose anxiety as I noticed fellow students dive into learning about whatever profession they’d been guided towards.
I love your thoughts here regarding purpose and work. The push towards a purposeful life connected to work begins early, even in grade school. I remember being in high school and having purpose anxiety as I noticed fellow students dive into learning about whatever profession they’d been guided towards.
It was also in high school that I realized that making art the center of my life was purpose enough for me. Even though I knew then that it might not be external signs or recognition of “success” or even purpose to some people, it was and is still enough for me. Every job I’ve had has always remained just that, a job and not the entirety of my life.
One of the problems with work life, especially corporate life in the U.S. is that workers are made to feel forced to accept their work as their sole identity through employers having almost continuous access to worker’s lives and time. I hope more people begin to question their purpose in order to break from expectations and find more fulfillment in the smaller things.
Thank you, Tim! Even though I’ve never lived in the U.S., I work for an American company, so I totally get a lot of what you’re saying. A friend of mine actually interviewed with our company for a position in London, and some of her interviews were conducted by people based in the U.S. She said it felt like a completely different culture—they were talking about working straight through Thanksgiving! Not that this never happens in Germany or the U.K., but I still think we generally maintain a better work-life balance here. Many of my friends don’t view work as their entire purpose, either.
It’s funny—my manager messaged me on Slack today after reading my latest post and gave me some praise, so I feel like I’m in a pretty fortunate spot compared to many others. I also work only four days a week so I can dedicate time to my creative endeavors.
I really empathize with you and other artists in the U.S., because it seems like you have to push so much harder against the system. But you can be proud of yourself for doing what works best for you! Of course, there’s nothing wrong with placing more emphasis on work if that’s what someone wants—it’s just not a one-size-fits-all scenario.
Thanks again for taking the time to read and share your thoughts. I really appreciate it!
I love your thoughts here regarding purpose and work. The push towards a purposeful life connected to work begins early, even in grade school. I remember being in high school and having purpose anxiety as I noticed fellow students dive into learning about whatever profession they’d been guided towards.
It was also in high school that I realized that making art the center of my life was purpose enough for me. Even though I knew then that it might not be external signs or recognition of “success” or even purpose to some people, it was and is still enough for me. Every job I’ve had has always remained just that, a job and not the entirety of my life.
One of the problems with work life, especially corporate life in the U.S. is that workers are made to feel forced to accept their work as their sole identity through employers having almost continuous access to worker’s lives and time. I hope more people begin to question their purpose in order to break from expectations and find more fulfillment in the smaller things.
Thank you, Tim! Even though I’ve never lived in the U.S., I work for an American company, so I totally get a lot of what you’re saying. A friend of mine actually interviewed with our company for a position in London, and some of her interviews were conducted by people based in the U.S. She said it felt like a completely different culture—they were talking about working straight through Thanksgiving! Not that this never happens in Germany or the U.K., but I still think we generally maintain a better work-life balance here. Many of my friends don’t view work as their entire purpose, either.
It’s funny—my manager messaged me on Slack today after reading my latest post and gave me some praise, so I feel like I’m in a pretty fortunate spot compared to many others. I also work only four days a week so I can dedicate time to my creative endeavors.
I really empathize with you and other artists in the U.S., because it seems like you have to push so much harder against the system. But you can be proud of yourself for doing what works best for you! Of course, there’s nothing wrong with placing more emphasis on work if that’s what someone wants—it’s just not a one-size-fits-all scenario.
Thanks again for taking the time to read and share your thoughts. I really appreciate it!