There is a girl that is in some of my classes this semester who is miserable. She doesn't like the program, she doesn't like Colorado, and, for all I can tell, she doesn't really like me. Every time we talk she complains. From my perspective it seems like every day she wakes up expecting the day to disappoint. More often than not, she is satisfied.
Recently she has decided that she is going to finish the program a semester early and get out of this department.
When she told me this I thought for a moment and then told her, "good, you shouldn't spend one day doing something that you don't want to."
Deep, good advice, huh!?!
Since saying that a few days ago it has really been on my mind. Should every day be filled only with things you want to do? Is a life lived otherwise as deplorable as Hollywood would have us believe? Is there some merit to sucking it up for a while, doing something you don't want to do for the greater good? Or, in doing so, are you still doing what you want because what you want falls into a greater vision of happiness?
For example.
A while ago I wasn't really enjoying my job. I came in, and I left as soon as I could. I got the job done, and did it well, but I didn't really want to be there. I came to work because it provided me a means to live the lifestyle I wanted in the moment. Also, I came to work because I realized that it gave me experience and provided the necessary stepping stone to get me where I wanted to be in the future.
Looking at it from one perspective, I was doing something every day that I didn't want to do. From the other side of the coin, I was doing what I had to to get to where I wanted to be.
It is this latter perspective that keeps me going when I have a day like yesterday.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
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3 comments:
I think in life there are times that we have to work at something and we don't enjoy that, but we enjoy the big picture. You are correct, we don't need to spend every waking moment being in bliss. Because it's not real and it's not attainable and that leads to misery.
You did give the girl good advice. She didn't like what she was doing and probably shouldn't have been there.
I guess you have to determine if yo have more enjoyable days than challenging ones to decide if you want to keep doing it.
~Jef
That is totally how I feel about my (work) life right now. I am doing it for the experience and I think I only handle it as well as I am because I know there is something bigger and better I am working towards.
Yeah, it would be awesome to love what you are doing every single moment of your life, but that is unrealistic. Everyone has good days and bad ones. The important thing is to make sure the good outnumber the bad!
Sometimes we just have to suck it up. I have definitely spent days and even weeks doing things I did not want to do. You keep the big picture in your head, and it helps you get through the crap. But since that girl's a whiner, by all means encourage her to be miserable somewhere else! Ha ha
By the way, I'm glad you're back. I thought you would never post again! *melodramatic sigh*
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