Picture this: It’s 8:15, and after hitting the snooze button for the umpteenth time, you reluctantly pull yourself out of bed and hop into the shower. You go through your hygiene routine, get dressed, and, after grabbing a quick breakfast, are out the door. You dutifully join the morning rush hour traffic, which is often anything but, only to arrive to work just in time to avoid a penalty. Here, you will stay counting down the hours until you are free to join another rush hour jam, all while muttering under your breath. Rinse, wash and repeat.
Over the years, I am sure that you have heard similar accounts of the workday of someone who is unhappy with the job that they currently have. It is rather unfortunate but also extremely common.
Gallup, a research-based consulting company, released a report last year titled “State of the American Workplace Report.” The study revealed that a staggering 70 percent of workers reported they were “not engaged” in their various jobs. More interesting, Gallup estimated that due to the active disengagement of employees, approximately $450 billion to $550 billion dollars are lost each year in potential revenue.
This leads me to believe that, contrary to popular belief, maybe it does matter whether or not you like your job. If that estimation is even partiallytrue, the loss in revenue affects every one of us from what we wear to how quickly we can repay the student loans that continue to accumulate. Think about it: the healthier the overall economy is, the larger the amount of money that can be allotted to different areas in the fiscal budget. This could benefit students if more funds were allotted to student financial aid, considerably reducing student debt.
Personally, I have chosen to follow my two passions here at NSU: visual art and journalism. This, of course, did not come so cut and dry. Growing up with my mom, she would ask my siblings and me what we would like to do when we grew up, as any parent does. The first time that I told her that I wanted to become an artist, she tried to persuade me to change my mind right then and there. My mother, who is a lawyer, had a very strong argument. I cannot say that she did not make me question myself, adding her concerns of available positions in my field and the practicality of my decisions. So, for a few years, I thought that I would do something more pragmatic.
Suddenly, the idea of doing something more traditional with my life was expected of me. It was as if my passions were not good enough or perhaps I was not good enough at what I did to compete in my fields. I couldn’t help but wonder whatever happened to the dream that every parent puts into their child’s head: “You can be the president of the United States of America if you wanted.” That dream seemed to have catapulted into a limit that is no longer reachable.
Luckily, I had a father who chose to do what he loved: working in the aggressive field of technology. Although he occasionally had a harder time than my mother did, I saw the passion deep within him and a drive that never wearied. He always told me to do what I loved, and the rest will work itself out; and so I tell you the same. Do what you love because, in the end, you are the one that will have to live with your decisions. Although, it may be difficult at times, at least you’ll be happy doing what you love.
