My worse fears in life are played out on screen in such films as Office Space, The Company Men, The Devil Wears Prada, and this latest commercial I just saw for Visit Las Vegas.
There are three things that strike me about this commercial:
- The setting of the bland, boring, conformist office environment where everyone is placed into simple boxes for the bulk of their day cooking under florescent lighting. Why do we still go into an office every single day when technology allows us to work collaboratively from anywhere in the world? And does everyone in the world do their best work in 8-hour blocks between the hours of 9AM and 6PM? I don’t.
- The co-workers don’t actually have anything to do but to sit there and dream of what their life could be like if they weren’t being forced to sit there just to earn a paycheck. When the boss comes by they pretend to be busy so they don’t get into trouble. Newsflash: I spent a year at my last corporate job looking ‘busy’ when the boss came by. Got pretty good at it too.
- How the co-workers have been indoctrinated in that un-spoken belief that there is no option available to them but to sit there until dismissed (even after 5:00) because they are both not allowed and the company needs them to sit there. Isn’t it amazing how corporations have brainwashed people to be at their beck-and-call 24-hours a day? How many times have you taken a work call, or responded to work email while at dinner, at a family function, or on vacation? That pavlovian response and attachment to ones Blackberry is ingrained in us because, God forbid, something important should happen at work. What about something important happening in your life?
Uninspired work
I realize everyone is different and we all need different things to make ourselves happy and fell safe in the world. For some, a steady paycheck and the comfort of a stale, cold, impersonal office setting where someone else makes the major decisions and you just have to conform and follow instructions while accepting whatever pay-increases and promotions are bestowed upon you is all they aspire to. Knowing that every 2-weeks there will be the exact same paycheck for the rest of your life has a sort of repetitive assurance. I get it. I’m going to skip pointing out in this post how millions of American’s continue to find themselves suddenly and unexpectedly without that safe and stable career every day due to increasing corporate layoffs and greed in this depressed global economy.
The reality is, I may (we all may) need to accept that stale corporate lifestyle for a period in our lives for survival. I’m currently looking for an office job so I can save off impending financial doom in my own life; however I recently couldn’t even get a job a Grindr for some reason. But shouldn’t we all be striving towards work that inspires us? Shouldn’t we be doing something every day that we love to do and would want to do regardless of getting paid or not? Why not go ahead and take a peak at your Blackberry and respond to email during your vacation because everyday feels like a vacation instead of this small precious little time granted to you after you’ve earned it working for someone else?
Bet on yourself
They say that when you gamble in Vegas the house always wins. But when you gamble on yourself YOU always win – so why not place a bet on yourself and step out of your comfort zone to try something new! Of course it’s easier said than done. I, myself, have been saying for years that I’m done working in corporate environments and want to work towards a life of profits instead of wages. It’s not easy. And it’s a scary thing to put yourself out there and become vulnerable to failure. I’ll get all motivated to succeed and try my best, then retreat back in fear and uncertainty. But only by going all-in can any of us ever hope to truly test ourselves and our capabilities. Just betting life’s table minimum all the time is never going to test your abilities and determination to win the game. Maybe it’s time to double-down and let the dice role.
My all-in gamble will be in my Team Beachbody business. Look, I know I need to get into shape and loose about 15 to 20lbs. So why not combined that goal with a business of the 21st century that can grow into a sustainable passive income stream while teaching confidence in business? With an incredibly low cost of entry and an entire network of supportive people teaching you how to grow and be successful in business, it’s the perfect starter business that anyone can do part-time and give them a life outside of the stale, boring office. Plus you’ll be improving your health with remarkable fitness products like P90X and Insanity.
Is it guaranteed to work? No. Is there a gamble? A little. But everything is riding on you. Your determination to make a difference in yourself. Your willingness to try something new. Your ability to ignore the nay-sayers and make yourself just a little vulnerable at times.
I’m ready to Take Back my Summer, my Health and my LIFE!
Question
Are you inspired or passionate about the job you do? Are you in a career that you love and enjoy, or are you playing it safe and not willing to gamble on any changes to your life right now? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
