Your Life, Your Choice

by

Mary Cope

It seems as if there is an article in the newspaper almost weekly about a person walking away from a high-paying job to begin a different job that pays far less. The article will usually mention how the person is "burned out" in this particular field and will state all the reasons why she is making such a life-changing decision. Having a high-paying job does not guarantee happiness. If a person has a job she loves, enjoys going to his job, and does not have job-related stress, she can have a better chance at being happy.

First of all, a person should have a job she truly enjoys or even loves. If one is constantly doing work in a profession she does not enjoy, that individual will not be happy. A person who enjoys children should work with or around children. One should try to match one’s talents, abilities, and areas of interest to one’s chosen field. My friend, Mike, thought he would enjoy teaching school; however, it took him only two years on the job to see that teaching was not for him. Mike went back to school himself and studied to be an electrician. He enjoys his new line of work much more than teaching. Mike says he is too much of a "loner" to teach; he enjoys the independent parts of his electrical work. Mike is happier now that he has a job more suited to his desire to work alone. He matched his need for quiet, independent work to a job that allowed him to work alone, and he is a happier man.

Having a job one enjoys is important, and it is just as important to have a job one enjoys going to each day. Being able to look forward to one’s job can truly affect one’s attitude. My brother had a job that he hated so much that he got up each day in a bad mood. The feelings Lloyd had about his job spilled into every aspect of his life. Lloyd griped, complained, grumbled, and whined his way through the day. After my brother got a new job, his whole attitude changed. Lloyd enjoys his new job so much he looks forward to work now. Lloyd is driving a tractor trailer across the country. He is still with the same employer; however, his job is now one he enjoys. Lloyd looks forward to doing a job he finds more enjoyable, and he is a happier person.

Finally, it is important to have a job that does not induce stress. Money can buy many things, but good health is not one of them. If one has a job that pays well but in return has high blood pressure, stress, or anxiety caused by the very same job, then one has chosen money over good health. Although I have been with the Walker County School System for ten years, I earn only $13,000 a year. My job does not pay well; nonetheless, I love it. I enjoy the people with whom I work, and I especially enjoy taking care of students who come into the office. Students’ problems–like middle schoolers themselves–come in all shapes and sizes, and I enjoy helping them solve these problems. Stress can be debilitating to one’s health and one’s life. My job is relatively stress-free, and that makes me a happier person. I would not trade my job for one I hated simply because I could earn more money.

A person should have a job she loves, enjoy going to that job, and be lucky enough to have a job that does not affect her stress level to have a better chance at being happy. Trading dreams, goals, and health for more money is not a "trade up." A person spends a great deal of time at work, so she should spend that time being a happier, more contented person. We make a living at what we do, but we make a life doing what we love!