Far too frequently this question, we find ourselves asking…ourselves… but how often do we actually really think about it? “What are we doing here?”
Well, that could have so many different meanings….most of which don’t come close to the reality of where we need to be delving. With that being said, let’s take a whack at it…
I think I will find myself reevaluating this question again at a later date…but for now, I would like to utilize this particular question to refer to the four letter word that so many of deal with on a daily basis but give not nearly enough thought to… WORK
What are we doing here?….Many of us have a job. What is a job? Well, a place for us to go four, five, six times a week and go through the motions of many tasks that we become accustom to in order to earn the much needed paycheck. This is an entirely underrated thing, as it is what keeps the rest of us complacent with our many much taken for granted luxuries. If we did not have baristas, we would not be able to get our much needed coffee on the way to our work…we would have to actually wake up in the morning a little early and make our own…and then it just wouldn’t even be quite as good…or would it. Now, as I previously mentioned, all of these jobs are important (maybe not to you…but to someone). While a barista is a quite an important job to many people who feel they desperately need them in their lives (and who am I to argue their needs)…who many baristas feel that they need the job they are doing opposed to the previously mentioned, paycheck. So, what’s my point… The thing is that we need to take a moment and seek fulfillment in what we do. Wait…scratch that…. it is isn’t fulfillment that we need to seek…that is wrong…but that may be what some may see it as if not just a paycheck. We need to ask ourselves what are we doing here? Are we contributing something to the society around us? Are we actually furthering our own path, whatever that path may be…whether it be spiritual, monetary, or security…is this building towards our future? Are we really doing something that truly suites our passion? Some people truly have a passion for coffee; that is awesome. Let’s take it to the next level for a second…if you have a passion for coffee and are pleased to be a barista serving the beautifully delicious and decadent drink you find so much pleasure in filling your cup with on a daily basis to others and watching as they take that first sip, that is beautiful and good for you. I am happy to know that you have found that…but could there be more? Of course, there could be more.
Does this particular job bring you fulfillment on any other levels? Do you have a future doing what you are doing? I truly hope that you do…especially if you have such a passion for it….all people should be so lucky. Is it financially viable? Is this market that you find yourself in going to be fruitful in the long term? Of course…it;s coffee! Everyone loves coffee and they are loving it more today than they ever did…And you may feel that whatever it is that you do, you can say the same thing…maybe you are right. A job needs to be more than that. You need to be learning a skill or knowledge any level…never rest easily in the spot that you find yourself as that spot may one day cease to exist. You need to never stop seeing the opportunities to grow and achieve more.
I think I have diverted from where I was intending to go initially…but maybe that is my point in this whole rant anyways….where you find yourselves may not be where you intended to be nor may it be where you were meant to be. Don’t settle for where you are no matter how great it may seem. There is always something more out there. Not just in your job…but in everything you do. Be ambitious. Be audacious.
You spend far too many hours at your job every week to allow them to not be propelled by the proper motivations.
On that note…Have a nice day at work.
~Corey B.
beingcoreybayless 