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| It's just a dog's life |
"Do What You Love and You'll Never Work a Day"
Utter crap. Yet another sexy sounding cliche mindlessly echoed for generations with no one questioning the truth.
It doesn't work. Once something you love to do becomes work, you change your attitude towards it. Heard of chefs choosing to eat instant noodles at home when they can whip up delicacies within minutes?
It's true that you could be enjoying doing something that you don't mind not being paid for. But once that becomes your main source of income and that you have deadlines, bosses and obligations, play inevitably becomes work. You can make a mistake during play but the consequences are much heavier when it comes to work. Once play becomes work, it'll be as shitty as any other job.
Not that anyone care. Who seeks self actualisation these days? Most of us are just trying to make a living, doing it for survival. The minority having a dream job of their lives would probably be unable to understand the plight of these majority.
In a mere 24 hours I've received messages from friends regarding work. A buddy was frustrated with work, feeling enslaved because he felt he couldn't move for some reasons. A girl told me she wanted to start a family but couldn't because of her taking on a new job. Sadly, most of us allowed work to creep to deep into our lives so much so that it is parasitic, feeding off our lives.
During work last night I thought of what I want to do if I were to return to Singapore. I'll be a hawker. I've thought of doing so a couple of times when I was in Singapore but the comfort zone disallowed that.
I used to question the government for citing that no one wants to do 'lowly jobs' such as cleaning. My argument is such that if the job pays a decent salary similar to an executive's pay, it'll be taken within minutes. I have my reservations against my own argument today. There are people who will shun jobs regardless of the potential income that comes with it. I am a bad example. My 2 previous jobs prior to departure were managerial roles. I was too comfortable to take on a tough occupation as a hawker.
But there is a twist to the story. After being a lowly trades assistant in Australia and taking back more dough that what I used to in Singapore as a manager, it is very clear to me. Once you step out, you'll get used to it. Once you can take some hardship, your future options are wide open. I have for example, absolutely no qualms returning to Singapore to be a hawker if I need to.
We Singaporean guys have gone through National Service. Yes, it is probably not as tough as the Koreans and Taiwanese versions but it was not easy as well. We can take on any jobs out there to make that living. Dirty, uncomfortable, unconventional. Would you do that window cleaning job for $4,000 a month? We could, we are trained to take on these kind of things. But we don't because it's not, in Justin's words, a cushy job.
These days I don't think much of it anymore. When we are all old men and women in the future, no one is going to care whether you were a doctor or you were clearing the gutters.
It's just a freaking job.
It's just a freaking job.
the "do what you love" thing is only for the young 'cos when you're young you (may) have the luxury of Mummy and Daddy to fall back on! Look at Van Gogh? I'm not sure he was exactly enjoying his work when he cut off his ear .... here in shitty singapore, its work to eat, work to survive, work to pay the neverending stream of bills. Oh yeah, I can just see myself at 70 working at Macdonalds ... "I'm lovin it" :(
ReplyDeleteer, i beg to differ...
Deletethat slogan is for those who has aged and made it in life
have a friend who has kinda made it, and now he's rearing arowanas as a hobby, and profit from it when the fishes give birth.. he loves it and it's not work to him
I can't see myself living at 70 if i continue to live in singapore, hehehe
Deleteheehee.....its weather u want to try anot...i keep telling myself...whats there to be afraid of...dont try i will never know i can anot.
ReplyDeleteah pooh
Well done ah pooh sister
DeleteI wouldn't mind working as a candy puller in candy stores. Those rock candy kinds. I just need to get to Australia. HAHA. ~ Joelyn Alexandra
ReplyDeleteJoelyn: what's a candy puller?!
DeleteThe person behind the counter who makes all the rock candies from scratch. Like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0LjEH77e3A
DeleteOne of the SG stores say that they learnt the ropes in Australia. ~ Joelyn Alexandra
Just to add to my above comment, I think it's not only the "unwillingness" to step out of our comfort zone even if the pay is the same.
DeleteA lot of us grow up in a very "ROI" kind of environment, so even if we are willing to do "menial jobs" for reasonable pay, our parents or families will not have it, citing - YOU HAVE A DEGREE! as a reason. Kinda like, "I paid for your education! I expect everything back and more."
Only solution I can think off without setting off a family war? Get a change of environment. I guess.
~ Joelyn Alexandra
Wow, I'll like to be a candle maker too. it looks fun.
DeleteYou made a very valid point. I personally bump into this obstacle myself, can't even clear it at my level. Guess when family n parents kick in, it'll be worse.
but then once u did it, u'll find it liberating
Ooo... then you should take a look at this (candle-related): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xBnO4Eh8sg That's really cool. HAHA.
DeleteYes, doing a bit of planning. Hopefully I don't have to pull the "Disappear off the facae of the Earth" trick. Yes, I live in a palace. Palace politics and all.
~ Joelyn Alexandra
are you coming to Australia to work one day? :)
DeleteI think that statement "Do What You Love and You'll Never Work a Day" do applies to famous bloggers and DJs.
ReplyDeleteBrother, out of the millions of bloggers only a handful earn enough to be professional bloggers. The rest of the blogs are shitholes like mine nobody really wanna read or read it out of boredom once in a while.
DeleteLook at fm93.3, how many DJs are working in that station? Maybe 10 if you include all the part-timers as well. How many of such jobs are available to the general public? These examples are definitely in the minority that i mentioned.
Yes. Only when they are successful ones. But boy, those are the jobs that can really allow one to enjoy when he/she is successful.
Deleteagain i find myself in agreement with u... the difference between work n enjoyment is one of choice... whether u must do it or u do it whenever u feel like it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, guess you explained it much better in one simple sentence. i should have thought of that, then i don't have to write so much, beating around the bush :)
Deletelol, i enjoy reading ur posts very much! details r important, it brings out the flavour of the topic at hand n gives it context! ur not beating abt the bush!
DeleteI want to agree with you, -asingaporeanson-, because I bought into the do-your-love-never-work line for many years, trying to self-employ myself as our reserves dwindled.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't know whether my happy conclusion would sound unexpected, even insane, to some.
I'm back again to working for less money than my peers' average.
But rather than concentrating on the fear and dread and anxiety ever since I became reclassified as an adult slave, these same years have honed me to understand what I love doing, and that's what keeps me going day after day, willingly suffering longer hours, more than any overtime or economic death threat could ever incite me.
And yes, I'm enjoying the unending process so far.
Publishing online from home is unpaid work.
Working part-time outside on temporary contract is insufficient even for the bills.
But that's the benefit and fun of staying hungry, staying foolish.
Being hungry means you enjoy food more, and feel full faster, so you can't gain that much weight.
Being foolish means your mind is open to all sorts of positive opportunities, and your body is more responsive at using them.
Compare the mighty T-Rex dinosaur against the invincible cockroach.
Can this even happen upon this little red dot, if we cannot reach the great land of the Dreaming?
I can't confirm, it's all still an experimental prototype.
Hi Alan,
DeleteWhat did you do, if you don't mind telling me in detail? my email is asingaporeanson@gmail.com
Thank you for responding, -asingaporeanson-, I will reply via your email address. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Nix,
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have the prerequisite to be an entrepreneur. You don't care abt career status, you are thrifty and are not afraid of hard work and failures. You just need to open up your eyes and look around to create your own niche. Starting a business does not necessarily require lots of capital, lots of free time or even brilliant ideas (though those certainly won't hurt). Just take the first step, no matter how small, and see where that leads you.
ML
Thank you for dropping this comment.
DeleteI suppose I need mentoring in this area.