Men Express Themselves
Where men can share their points of view and more.
Where women can learn about men.

'Blessing' Or 'Burden'?

By Russell A. Irving

Work! Work! Work!
Sometimes that feels as if it that is all that you do...

If you're single, it is a necessity. If marred, it depends upon your arrangement with your spouse.
Regardless, one of the biggest determinents of whether of not you look forward to your workday is your passion for your job.

I can toss around a bunch of words and expressions to cover your work: Occupation, Vocation, Paid Hobby, Employment, Profession, Trade, Career, Paycheck Generator..
The truth is the name matters less than how you view it.

For married men, especially dads, the pressure is truly on you to perform. $-wise, that is.
Gone are the days when you can simply tell your boss off, take a risk by starting your own business, get laid-off so that you can collect unemployment and enjoy the summer rays or the snowy slopes.
What you need to decide is how much risk could your family afford to take. Discuss career changes with your spouse and even with older children (13+ years old). You might be well surprised at what they have to say and the support that they might offer you.
If you are truly stuck where you are, for the time being (or even beyond), you need to weigh the joy you have now with family versus a career move. I, for one, might have periodic regrets regarding paths that I did not take due to having my family. But, in the overall scheme of life, I would never, ever, trade my wife and sons for any prestige or fortune that I might have dreamed of having. My life's wealth lies with them. - You need to decide where your wealth comes from.

Time.
You also need to weigh the pros and cons of the hours that you work. If you are away so much from your family is it woryh not being with them, so that they can have the latest tech gadget, clothes, or car? Many of you might be very surprised to hear your wife and kids' feelings about this choice.

Most of us had (have) dreams of being rich and famous. Perhaps, a sports star. A singer. A musician. Entrepreneur.  Actor.
There is nothing wrong with these dreams as long as we keep them realistic. And, we consider the lives of others who are impacted by our life changes.
You also have an obligation to keeping your life's regrets to yourself. For once verbalized, there is no taking them back. The pain that this can cause your spouse or children is unbelieveable.

Bottom-line, is your job a 'Blessing' or a 'Burden'? I guess that it boils down to how you choose to look at it.
I, for one, see my jobs as a blessing, overall. The primary regret is for the hours that I am not with my loved ones. And for the money that I do not have for many luxuries that I wish for them and myself.
But, that's okay! I know what 'True Wealth' is. Do you?

Send me your thoughts on this topic. Write me at admin@MenExpressThemselves.com - Your name will not be published if we decide to post your comments. I hope that we hear from you.