Tuesday, August 12, 2008

What are we waiting for?

So I must say that I have been truly blessed to have met many people throughout my 8 years of adulthood (counting from 18). I guess what makes my roster of meeting and knowing people so high is based on the fact that not only am I a social person in general but I am the type of person when things are not feeling "right" I make a move, professionally and personally.

I have had at least 7 different jobs since the year 2000. I know, I know...some might see that as me not being able to keep still, but to be honest I have almost tripled my salary, from my 1st job right out of school. I have moved up the ladder and up the salary pole. One thing that I never have had a problem with is knowing my worth.

I have worked for non-profits to the biggest corporations and all of them have left me unfulfilled with an after taste in my mouth. Yes I was grateful that I had a job and that I could pay my bills and sustain my life, but why am I working sooo hard to try to make the head of the company richer, when obviously he is not trying to give me 10% of the profit he is making. Food for thought :(last year 500 executives earned $6.4 billion in 2007, an average of $12.8 million apiece....let me type that one more time.....12.8 million dollars a piece!!!!!!!!!!

This makes me ask the question I have always tried to fathom, why is Maria, Sylvia, Edward and the rest of the people who support the company working until 7-8-10 pm sometimes to make a measly $85,000 a year! Yes, I said $85,000 is measly because as you can see the head is getting $12.8 million years. He does not even have the decency to pay you 10% of that as a dedicated employee who works at least 65 hours a week! Its craziness.

Every job that I have had, and even the jobs I loved with a passion within my field of media, I ALWAYS was out no later than an hour after I was supposed to be done, and that's IF I stayed behind that late, WHY? because I never cared that much. This made me realize that I must start something that I am passionate about, or be a part of something that could help make a difference.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying you cannot believe in someone else's dream or business and want to work for that person, but when you are working for these big corporations, who steal from those who are less fortunate and do nothing to uplift, then there is a problem.

So I ask the question, when will you stop breaking your back and start doing something that you can be proud of?! I am not telling you all to go out and quit your 9-5's but at least have a plan B so that you can one day be proud of the contribution you made.

Maybe you are happy in the position you are in and you rise out of bed eager to get to your place of business, maybe the company you work for shows and proves to you on a daily basis that they are helping and adding on to the community and world that you know, maybe you are confident that all the work and effort you put into the company will show dividends 10x fold to sustain you, and your future grandchildren. I don't know, but when I asked myself those exact questions "No's" were my response.

What I am trying to say is NEVER EVER get too comfortable in any position. I met a woman one time I was interviewing for this job, the lady had been at the job 20 years and she loved it. This lady was pretty wealthy and she did not HAVE to work, but this place obviously gave her that sense of belonging that I described above. As we spoke, and we became more familiar with one another, she shared a bit of wisdom with me. She said to me " I have been here for 20 years, and I know I am not leaving because I feel like I am a part of this place, but every 3 months I shop my resume and I go out on interview's anyway to stay brief of what is still around me and what is available, I have done that for 15 years".

I thought about that and it made sense. We all stay in these positions and "job's" just because we are used to them, but do you take time out to really see what else is happening and available to you outside of that spectrum. Its so funny, because every job that I have had I have simply asked for something and it was given to me right off the back. Some of us are too scared to ask, and then some of us wait to long to ask, and then not taken seriously.

Make a move if you feel in your spirit you should!!! Upgrade your life if your gut tells you it's time, jump out on a limb and do what you REALLY want to do. You have it in you. Never forget all the success stories before you, those individuals were humans and able last time I checked just as you are.

In the words of Sean Carter "Young Carter,Go farther, Go further, Go harder, is that not why we came then if not then why bother"? You can apply that to your own situation and see how it applies. GO HARD or GO HOME!

LOVE....

4 comments:

Toy said...

I think everyone knows what they're meant to do and you will not feel complete until you have accomplished. Maybe some of us are made to work in corporate America, some are made to be business owners, some are made to be teachers..preparing our youth for such successes...but in general, I say do what makes YOU happy and makes YOU satisfied. Money is not always the ultimate satisfaction. I would rather take less for a job I am happy about in an industry I am happy about than to make alot of money and be miserable. I remember being offered a fortune to work for Microsoft, and my friends and family being ecstastic about the potential to move to Seattle and work a couple of levels under the man himself, Bill Gates. And just as I was thinking of all the things I could buy with a cost of living being substantially less than what I was used to, and making more than what I was used to, I had to remember being at IBM, working with servers and massive storage devices...in a field I had nooo interest in whatsoever. I just couldn't do it. So I think you know where you're meant to be and don't settle anything less of what YOU want, not what is wanted FOR you.
My $.02.
"Sky's the limit till I die and I'm in it".

xxPeacexx

Tyrus said...

This weekend I had a similiar conversation with a friend who in the last 9 months was promoted to VP at a global corporation. He works hard and puts in long hours, and is compensated for it. He loves the field he's in, but! he is ridiculed and denegrated by his boss on a monthly basis and has had enough. It's enough to make him question what he does and loathe going to work. Money is one thing, but having colleagues who value your input is another. 40-65 hours per week at the office is a huge chunk of your life and one @$$hole can ruin it. Needless to say, he's rapidly creating a Plan B.

Why be paid well if it means hating the biggest part of your week?

Ms. Henderson said...

I just want to interject here by saying that the purpose of this blog was to inspire those who feel they have a bigger purpose, calling and who are on the brink of attempting to do whatever it is they feel they should be doing. By no means should you work SOLEY for $$$ and not be happy. I rather work for myself and be broke and be doing what I am passionate about.

Please understand the overall objective and goal is happiness, fulfillment, and success by any means necessary.

AdrianC said...

That lady that shops her resume made an interesting point but I think she managed to illustrate another. So she has been shopping her resume for 15 years? I am sure in that time frame she has come across better offers, but what can be said about "comfort" at the job. So I like my clothes but I have been walking by this clothing store for 15 years. I see other clothes maybe some really cool gear that I don't have, but I never buy and when asked I say I am perfectly happy with just seeing the clothes and not buying it. Guess what I am not buying it there is more to that story than she is letting on. Anywhoo, everything is interesting keep it up and btw, I thought i was only gonna be inspired on mondays now wednesdays? double dipping are we? cya around ;oP