C6E4GF USA, New Jersey, Jersey City, Young woman working in office. Image shot 2011. Exact date unknown.
The title may be a bit alarmist, but it does highlight the importance of work itself to one's life.
Have you ever felt that "helplessness of not being able to do well the things you can do, and not being able to do the things you want to do"?
When I experienced this feeling, it was about two or three years ago. Back then, I would often look at the people around me, each with their own goals to work towards, seeming happy and certain about what they wanted. But looking at myself in contrast, I seemed unhappy every single day, and no matter what I did, I felt rejected, filled with an overwhelming sense of world-weariness.
Recently, a netizen privately messaged me about a similar issue. They said, "I no longer know what I'm working for, and I don't know where my interests lie. I asked my family, and they said I'll understand when I'm older. Work is just about making money; all that talk about sense of achievement is fake. What matters most is having money coming in. Many of my friends aren't interested in their jobs either; they all say it's just about earning money..."
Many of these people don't actually understand that the meaning of work goes beyond just making money. Of course, everyone has different values, but if you still want to give it a shot, you should let go of external factors and really go for it. I, for one, don't like betraying my ideals just to make money. My current job's salary is nearly ten thousand less than my first job, but I'm happier now and growing much more. Of course, it took going in circles to realize what I actually like and what I'm pursuing.
The importance of work to one's life is, first, that you spend more than 8 hours a day with it. If nearly 1/3 of your day is spent on work you don't like, isn't that a form of torture? Your personality and values will be greatly affected, and you may even become more withdrawn and closed off. Not to mention that after accounting for sleep and meals, there's really not much time left in a day to do your own things. So why not find work you truly love? Work is about finding, among many things you like and dislike, what you're passionate about and can persist with.
Through the workplace, we can learn and grow through human connections and interactions, through different communication styles and adaptations. Many things are intangible, and perhaps through this you'll discover that your standards for yourself have also risen—this too is growth.
So if you're disappointed with your current job and don't know whether to persist or move on, let me give you some advice: lacking motivation in your job, not finding a sense of belonging or recognition, will all cause your life to stagnate temporarily. It's true that life isn't just about work, but life is filled with work, which in turn affects your quality of life. What kind of life do you want? What kind of living do you want? Decide for yourself.
