Why Do You Work?

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Why Do You Work? Is it solely for the purpose of making money? So you can feed your family, afford a home, afford a quality lifestyle? Do you work because you want too? Because it gives you purpose? Do you work because you enjoy it? Because you are passionate about it? Because it is fulfilling? Because that’s what your parents told you to do? Go to school, get good grades, and get a job? Really, Why do you work?

The Seed is Planted

Approximately 17 months ago, I was sitting in my fourth year Careers class. I was fiddling around on my laptop, half listening to my professor. As my professor lectured about the importance of being prepared for the inevitable job search upon Graduation he said something along these lines:

“You can’t just jet off to Australia for a year, you need to find a job after graduation and work for the summer, and that involves being realistic and planning and preparing”. 

I immediately looked up from my laptop, taken aback by his comment.

“I’m going to Australia for a year!” I objected.

He looked at me, half in surprise and sort of stuttered over his words. “Well okay, maybe some of you might but for most of you – you need to start planning for graduation” blah blah blah. 

About a month or so before that, I had submitted my application for a one year Working Holiday Visa for Australia. And I had my flight tickets booked for a four month Euro trip with my Aussie traveller boyfriend 2 weeks after my last University exam. 

Not the Life For Me

Amidst all the worry amongst my classmates about finding jobs, I couldn’t have cared less. And to be honest – the thought of going straight from an exhausting four year program to a 9 to 5 corporate job was incredibly unappealing for me. In fact the very thought of it made me feel sick. 

This time, listening to my professor say this bit about how people can’t just fly off to Australia made me angry. Yep, I was seriously angry. 

I was angry that our entire education system was focussed on creating the perfect specimen of employee instead of focussing on creating the perfect specimen of contributor to our planet.

I was angry that we were encouraged and even TOLD out right that “you will likely have to start at the bottom and work your way up”. I was ANGRY that everyone was telling us that the job search is HARD and that you need to prepare yourself as BEST as you can vs the competition. 

Is this what life is about? Go to school, get a job that you might not even like, try to get a great job title and beat out our competition (often are friends), work and save money, and then plan for retirement? Because honestly this BS makes me sick. I’m getting angry just writing this. 

What happened to FOLLOW YOUR PASSION, what happened to MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, what happened to DO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL AND FULFILLING, what happened to FIND YOURSELF SPIRITUALLY, what happened to FOLLOW YOUR BLISS, what happened to EXPLORE, DISCOVER, CREATE, LIVE? 

NONE of that exists in our so highly praised Western society. 

Sure we find little bits of it – in our yoga class in the morning, or in our one week vacation that we take, in our special dates with our loved ones, in our friends birthday parties, or in our rare family get togethers. But they are few, fleeting and far in between.

So I sat there thinking – “So this is it hey? I went through FOUR YEARS of this crap just so I can be conditioned to get a job I’m not that in too. Sounds like a great life, but it’s NOT for me”. 

So instead, I thought about how I was going to be in Greece, living on a beach, turning a golden bronze shade in the Mediterranean sun while half my classmates would be in cubicles, restaurants or hotels competing in the race to the “top”. 

I know What I don’t Want, What is it That I DO Want?

When others found out that I was going travelling and that I would end up in Australia at the end of the year, everyone would ask what I was planning on doing when I got there. To be honest I had no clue at the time.

As I worked in Restaurants throughout my University years, people just automatically assumed that I’d be after a Hospitality job once I settled in the magical land of Oz since a Corporate Job would be pretty much unattainable on a Backpackers Visa. 

I was so not into that. When I would respond – “Definitely not Hospitality”, they would ask… so what? Farm work?

I would laugh. Nope I would say. So…. what? 

“I’m not really sure to be honest… maybe some sort of business consulting or working for a startup. I want to work with entrepreneurs and help people in small business”. 

“Oh. Well good luck”. 

There was the doubt. And to be honest I had my doubts too. As I handed strawberry daquiries to customers at the Beach Club in Ios, Greece that summer I would ponder that question. I knew I didn’t want to serve strawberry daiquiris for the rest of my life.

The Important Job Title

When I came back to Toronto for two months and secured my old restaurant job for a short time before jetting off to Australia, I would see my friends and old classmates updating their job titles on Linked-In. Some of them sounded pretty important.. and I’m not going to lie my ego totally wanted an important job title. 

My identity had always been as a smart, independent young women with drive, ambition and great leadership skills. Surely a woman such as me should work her way up the corporate ranks and settle with an important title, should she not?

My ego struggled with this all the way to Australia. 

Yet there was another side to me, my spiritual side. This was the side that deeply believed anything was possible, that every human being should do something that they are passionate about and that is fulfilling. 

And so as I wearily started searching for jobs in Brisbane, my spirit watched each application get sent out with gloom. Waiting for my inevitable future as that Canadian girl in Australia with that cool corporate job that would so not make my soul happy. 

I never did find that important sounding corporate job. 

I found a business on my laptop instead. 

Is Starting a Business For You?

Let’s be Real Here — It’s MUCH harder starting a business then it is to find a job. 

For one, you need to make sure your rent can be paid and you can afford groceries if you don’t make any money for a while. For most people, they start a business while still working either full time or part time in their jobs, until their business generates enough income to allow them to quit for good.

Yeah it takes a lot of work. All day and all night. You have your good days and you have your bad days where you doubt yourself. 

But you know what? I would choose to do the last 3 months over again vs a 9 to 5 ANY day. Ask any new entrepreneur or self employed business owner and they’d probably say the same thing. 

It’s Okay to Be Employed

Look, I’m not against being employed. Starting a business is definitely not for everyone. And there are a lot of great companies out there who do good things for the world and who’s employees LOVE what they do and get to make a real difference. We NEED employees to fill jobs. We Need Doctors, Nurses, Teachers, Plumbers, Technicians, Bankers, etc. 

But right now we have a lot more people then we have jobs. Hence all of the unemployment rates and roles being made redundant around the world. Hence all of the crappy wages and awful work environments. 

What if companies had to make offers to potential employees to come and work for them? How would that change things? How would that change the VALUE that each employee produces in his or her role if he/she was doing something they they loved and was respected within that role, and had more freedom and flexibility?

The reality is, there are A LOT of people out there who are employed and DO NOT love what they do.

Some even hate it.

They do not like being told when and how much vacation time they can take.

They do not like being told what hours they have to be at work and what hours they can spend with their kids, family, significant others or friends.

For many, the reality of low income brackets and living paycheque to paycheque is a reality they don’t know how to shake. 

Do You Need Money to Make Money?

A lot of people think that you need money to make money, you need money to start a business. 

That’s just not 100% true. Yes, many small businesses and startups do require a huge investment capital, but do not let that deter you. There are also many types of home businesses that do not require a huge start up cost, and even ways to get access to bigger funds should that be required. Get Creative. 

Get Out There. You Deserve It!

At the end of the day, if you do want to try something different, choose something that you are going to be passionate about. If that means moving to a Caribbean Island and scooping ice-cream, then do that. If it means starting a Network Marketing business, do that. If it means creating your own workshops, becoming a freelance artist, developing a product, or becoming an affiliate marketer, then do that. 

Whatever it is, just TAKE ACTION. Stop making excuses. There are so many stories of people who started with NOTHING and have built empires. What makes them any different from you or I?

Get out there, try new things, see the world and get out of your comfort zone!