Yesterday I posted a couple of question question on my blog, one of them was this:
Why is it so important to make it big time in one’s career life?
I just had to take a step back and reassess my statement here. The two words that caught my eye was “big time” and “career life”. What does it mean to make it big time in one’s career in the first place? Does it imply you’re on your way to greater career success? Does it imply a huge promotion? Recognition from peers? Accolades from your manager?
And then I realized, that for the most time, that’s how we define success in our career life. Money, awards, recognition, promotion, accolades, increaments and bonuses.
But isn’t there more to it than just what the rest of the working world is chasing for?
I mean at the end of the day it’s how you wanna look at it. If that’s what you wanna chase right now in life (fame & fortune), then yes by all means question no.1 would be answered with a definitive and passionate YES!
For me personally, the answer is not really a strong yes. I’ve been working for more than a year now and I can say money has not been my objective in what I do. For me it’s always been about character and integrity. For me, having character and integrity in my own career life gives me the satisfaction of making it big. I play by the rules, I work hard, I make mistakes, I’m honest at work and I do the best I can. Recognition, fame and the glory that comes with it is not so important, because I guess I have something called self worth.
Of course I’m not advocating that I loathe praises and recognition. I take it as it comes, because at the end of the day, if I’m gonna need something else other than my own self worth, belief and determination to keep me going, I’m gonna crumble down eventually. People change, the way they look at you changes along with them, money changes, crave too much of it, you lose your own self worth and your character goes along with it.
I’ve seen my own friends change because of too much success in their head, money is the almighty dollar, although they deny it, sometimes its just too obvious not to notice it.
Don’t misunderstand me, money is important, recognition is important, but what is important may not nessecarily be a driving factor.
If someone’s gonna equate making it big with financial success, recognition and so on, then that’s just sad, because those things can just be zapped out at any time, one day you’re regarded as a hero, the next day, you make a tiny mistake and zap you’re the scapegoat of the department.
At the end of the day we are who we are. Not saying we should all be the same, we’re uniquely different and that’s how it’s gonna be. I’m just glad I know who I am deep down, what I value and what is important to me. I’m glad I can wake up every morning with a clear conscience in my mind. I’m glad I can come to work with a genuine smile on myself, I’m glad I can stand on my ground and justify myself when the occasion calls for it.
I’m just glad I can bring my God to work, I can still follow His ways despite being placed in a world where individual success and interest superseeds everything else. It’s a tough world, not gonna lie to ya, but how you live to it makes all the difference.
