Читать книгу Comfortable Chaos - Carolyn Harvey & Beth Herrild - Страница 25

In our society, there is an incredible focus on the state of the economy. We are collectively addicted to checking the fluctuations of the stock market, the business section of the newspaper, and the plumpness of our portfolios. It’s not wrong to care, but it is a mistake to completely relinquish the quality of your life to the fate of the economy.

The fact is that the beast thrives in a boom economy as well as in a bust economy. Think back to the boom years of 1999 and 2000 when the dot.com phenomenon was at its peak. The corporate beast was ravenously hungry during this time. People were working up to 100 hours per week in the hopes of riding a star and striking it rich in stock options. They completely sacrificed their personal lives and practically lived in their offices. Companies responded with onsite dry-cleaning, meals, and concierge services, and were touted for making their employees’ lives easier.

Ha! Instead, most people gave thousands of hours to the beast and have nothing to show for it. Only a small percentage got rich and converted their paper money into hard assets before the economy started to slow and then nose-dived. Many others were victims of mergers and “re-orgs” that eliminated their jobs despite their hard work and dedication. And let’s not forget the stay-at-home spouses who essentially ran the household and raised their children single handedly!

Now flip the coin and consider the typical situation during a recession — employees get nervous about the potential of layoffs. Rightfully so, since the corporate world has become a slave to quarterly earning reports and quickly dumps people as a way to boost its stock value. Sadly, few companies recognize that real growth occurs through the long-term development of its people.

But for now, it’s important to avoid the trap of blaming the economy. The tendency to overwork and give too much of your life to a corporation exists whether we are in an upward or downward economic trend.

It’s also time to let go of the outdated notion that if you look after the company, it will look after you. We have slowly moved down the continuum, from our parents’ era where the company took care of its people, to today’s world where there are no guaranteed rewards for hard work. You are much better served by viewing yourself as “me incorporated.” Whether you work for a company, run your own business, or run the family, it’s only smart to package your skills and abilities effectively and use them to create the life you want to live. This doesn’t mean we suggest a pure “look out for number one” attitude. Instead, we advocate having a realistic picture of your needs and the needs of the employers and family members in your life, and find a way to work with integrity to benefit all parties.