“Our society is so abnormal that the normal man never dreams of having the normal occupation of looking after his own property. When he chooses a trade, he chooses one of the ten thousand trades that involve looking after other people’s property.” – GK Chesterton
It’s strange how our attitudes to work change.
We’re delighted to win our first job. Apart from the relief of having a job, it brings the promise of things we will be able to do.
Money can buy homes, holidays, cars, or other things we might aspire to.
It also holds the promise of doing something interesting and worthwhile.
Sadly, for many, that initial enthusiasm fades over time.
Work becomes monotonous. Something that has to be done.
Or, it’s a source of stress or frustration, neither of which improves quality of life outside of work.
If you experience “Sunday Evening Blues,” you’ll understand the feeling.
A big reason for negative feelings about work stems from feeling helpless about being able to improve things.
Financial commitments must be met. “I need this job, which is why I put up with… (bad boss, lack of promotion, boredom).”
And that’s when GK’s quote (he’s pictured above) can be so helpful. Decide to look after your own property.
Instead of being a “victim,” remind yourself that you work for yourself.
The work you do is ultimately about helping you fulfil your aspirations, financial, creative or otherwise.
Along the way, we can lose sight of our goals. They get pushed out from our day-to-day consciousness by the demands of life. And that’s when cynicism, negativity or worse, depression can set in.
The cure is to revisit and restart your ambitions. Decide where you want to get to. Work out a plan.
Start from now.
As part of the plan, see how your current job can help you get there, even if only as a temporary assignment.
If you examine how you might change things within your job to make it better for you, you might stay there longer and more productively.
Don’t create your own prison.
If you’re looking after someone else’s property, decide to build your own at the same time.
Very best,
David