In Haunted/Ghost, one of my favorite songs on Beyonce’s new album, she talks about how people work boring, regular jobs just to stay alive. “How come?” she wonders. When I first heard the song I said Beyonce good question! Why do we put ourselves in the hellhole that is Corporate America, subjecting ourselves to at least eight hours a day without sunlight or fresh air, behind a computer, developing a serious case of carpal tunnel, and ruining our vision?!
But then there was a huge layoff at my job. Two hundred people — gone. And suddenly the idea of “9 to 5 just to stay alive” sounded a little disrespectful. “Just” to stay alive? Like staying alive isn’t that important? Like staying alive isn’t something that is relatively high on the priority list? On a Friday in April, 200 people across the various locations of my employer came to work, tried to swipe their badges, and couldn’t get in. Then a couple of HR folks came down to let them they would never be able to get in. Staying alive at that point was a little more than a “just” for them. I realized that if I had been in that unfortunate number I would not have had enough savings to get by. I would have been calling mommy asking for a loan.
It’s very easy to get caught up in the mindset of trying to make your job your passion. We’re often told, “if you’re doing what you love, you never work in a day in your life.” That leads us to believe that if we’re not doing what we love, and if work is a drag, then we must be doing something wrong. I say, forget that mindset. I say there’s no problem with making work the thing you do to stay alive and making LIFE the thing that makes you happy. Work your passion project on the side, do not volunteer a single one if your PTO days to your company, take as many vacation and mental health days as you need. When you’re not at work that’s when you can find fulfillment and pursue your passions.
Up until recently, I was very idealistic. I would venture to say many 20-somethings are. We want to feel like we do more than work for a check, counting the hours until we get off. But honestly, out of all my friends who now have ‘real jobs,’ I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head who would say work fulfills them. Much of our conversation is about how much work sucks to be honest. But what doesn’t suck is knowing that I can pay my rent, knowing that I’m investing into my retirement fund, and knowing that if I need any type of medical attention it’s covered. I know we all want that job where we realize childhood dreams of helping people, doing good work, and working alongside amazing co-workers and bosses who challenge us and make us better. But if work doesn’t live up to all that — if it’s just a means to an end — that’s cool too!