Balance "work" with "life" and you'll have neither
The Aspen Beat,
by
Glenn Beaton
Original Article
Posted By: Big Bopper,
8/12/2020 12:33:26 PM
People today have more wealth and leisure time than ever, and they work less than ever. But depression rates are at an all-time high. Let’s consider why.
People spend their abundant wealth and free time on recreation. It’s fun to ski, drink, romance, and even watch TV, play video games and preen/protest.
People often define those fun recreational activities as “life” and the less-fun activities that pay for those fun recreational activities as “work.” Almost by definition, people find recreation more fun than work.
Work consequently takes a backseat to their recreational “life.” They don’t work hard and don’t achieve much. Their half-hearted work produces half-assed results.
Amen, Glenn! I work hard, and when it's time to play, I play hard! But, when I play, all the work stuff is left at home!
5 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
sanspeur 8/12/2020 1:19:39 PM (No. 507611)
uh , with the shut down & working from home . there has to be irony in this article ?
3 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
LC Chihuahua 8/12/2020 3:02:12 PM (No. 507706)
Interesting article.
fta...
What makes people happy are such things as serving others, accomplishing goals, overcoming obstacles and building things. In short, what makes people happy is work. It’s what we’re made for.
Work usually means a job. Lots of jobs are terrible. People quit all the time. Most jobs are less than ideal.
If work is what we were made for, what type of work? Seriously, what are we made for? I worked at a job for 26 years, and it reached a point that it was time to leave. I'm at a point in my life where my lifestyle and savings are such that I don't need to work. I can live on my savings. I haven't worked at a job for over 6 years even though I am in my 50s. I can 'retire' today. I also recognize that the job I left helped get me to where I am at today. That job enabled me to reach certain milestones and goals in my life. Maybe all of them.
What's next? I spend all my time with a friend doing things with her. I also blog, read, and play computer games. What else is there? I could look for another job or find volunteer work or come up with other personal activities, but at this point I am content to rest and relax.
3 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
steph_gray 8/12/2020 4:34:58 PM (No. 507755)
The fact is that humans are meant to accomplish something. Lives are empty without challenge and accomplishment.
First, a human being must accomplish his or her own living and the living for the family. This is a lifetime pursuit. If well matched to the work, some lucky people find joy in working until they drop dead, even at jobs that could bore others...
Retirement is a time when the choice of accomplishments can broaden to ones that don't support a living. For several years since retirement my job has been playing as a hobby musician, and I would happily do that job until I die, preferably on stage singing something people are enjoying.
But COVID-1984 has stolen that pursuit. I hope not forever, but in order to regain it, I may need to move out of a blue state. If November goes well, and I think it will, perhaps the left will lose their bid to ruin the country and while at it, making all fun illegal which sometimes appears to be their main goal.
So in the meantime my new job is making my garden the best it can be, so that I can get exercise, get creative re-using plants instead of spending too much on new ones, and enjoy the results - birds, hummingbirds, dragonflies, a crazy Disney crew of other critters - each summer morning over coffee.
One's chosen work is its own reward, or should be.
7 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
Mushroom 8/12/2020 6:47:06 PM (No. 507865)
I gambled hard. I decided to work as hard as I could, everything I did had a profit motive. When I was injured and told I couldn't return to the work force, I stopped. I switched to retirement mode.
Had I died before that moment I would have lost the bet. My loving wife would have a pile of money , but no me. (Depending on the day you might get different if you asked her which she preferred.)
I made it through to the other side and there were some serious trade offs in experiences. I hope to make up for a bit of it, but I will never see some of my dreams.
2 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
4poster 8/12/2020 6:56:30 PM (No. 507869)
I agree with Glenn. I’m a petroleum engineer. I’ve worked 44 years in the industry and loved solving the many problems. Retired at age 70, but would have stayed on but the industry has ups and downs and now is a down.
Solving problems was very satisfying. I guess I’m one of those who would have work till I dropped.
2 people like this.
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Yep.