CAN YOU IMAGINE what it would be like to have an office that over looked Times Square in New York City or a stunning view of mountains and the sea? Your own personal chauffeur to take you wherever you want to go and when you want to go. The house with 12 bedrooms, sauna, private swimming polls, helicopter landing pad plus a gated fence with an intercom system. What a life that must be!
For you and me not to mention countless others that is not our reality nor in all likelihood will it ever come to be so. Jobs that have to be done have to be done by somebody. The fast food workers, sanitation worker, train engineers, hospital registration clerks and on and on. Nowhere near as glamorous as the life of the CEO but these jobs do pay money (poor to good) that people are needed to do.
If not for the taxi driver how would you get from one place to another? Same thing can be said for the people who operate our buses and subways plus the repair people who keep everything running. Not always on time mind you but they do get you there. Limo’s they are not.
To restate the fact that somebody has to do these jobs. Don’t misunderstand me in that there obviously are people who do work in these professions. Some with more passion than others but still they carry on with their tasks.
We would give our right arm (hold that thought) to live that charmed life. For the few that make it to the “top” there are many that slip off the ladder to land in a job they fall in love with. Earning a decent living where you can buy a house in suburbia to live with your family isn’t the worse thing in the world.
Cashiers, Stock Clerks, Fast Food Workers unless they become manager are not paid exceptionally well (that is in the process of changing) but there are people who do this for a living. They work in honest professions and should be seen as such. How can a store exist without a cashier or somebody to put out stock? There would be no business.
A Broadway Play cannot go on without various support staff to do the behind the scenes work so “the lights go up on Broadway.” The electric company supplies the energy for this. Of course the average citizen winds up paying through the nose for gas and electricity. This statement was inserted just to make us aware why we must take on these roles others will not.
Policeman and Firefighters put their lives on the line every time they go out on call. They do so knowing this could be their last ever trip. These heroes wanted these roles but are not paid nearly enough for the sacrifices they make. The same holds true for our brave service people.
Throw in automobile mechanics and you have a stockpile of jobs so many loathe doing but for any number of reasons they wind up where they are. In hopes of escaping their trapping Lottery Tickets are bought in bunches with the almost usual result of having spent money they need just for a chance for a dream to come through.
The CEO with all the perks does not ensue security. With a greed inspired flawed thinking process he is inherently more liable to find himself with legal troubles that regular people will not. Remember “all that glitters is not gold.”
Our non-executive (Blue Collar) workers were the backbones that built his country. I don’t see scores of people signing up to be coal miners or oil rig workers but yet again somebody has to do these jobs.
Thank you to all of you for doing what you do even if you feel there is something better out there for you. If you should find your rainbow please look down at the rest of us smile while reassuring us somebody we may on our own rainbow. In the meantime (you guessed it) somebody has to do these jobs.
If only the “Higher Ups” would show an ounce of respect and interest for those people who are making them even more successful! How many times do we see a janitor smile and say “Good Morning!” Just to see the person they are greeting turn their head and act like they did not see nor hear them? The people that work for them keep their business, home and life going in the way they have become accustomed to living.
I think a sincere “Thank you” goes a long way with anyone.
Joel, thank you for your thoughts. I hope you know, You Matter! Great news is Everyone does!
Traci, I want to thank you for your comments along the time you took to read my article. You obviously put a lot of thought into what you wrote which makes your comments that much more meaningful. I look forward to your continued readership.
Thank you for yet another interesting article Joel… oh yes……..
it also boils down to acknowledging our own responsibilities.
On a lighter note, I am sure you’ve probably seen this one
before, but behind the play on words, there is some great advice. It also reminds us of the importance of taking personal responsibility for your own success (or lack of it).
Once there were four managers. Their names were:
Somebody, Everybody, Anybody, and Nobody.
They were very busy people, but whenever there was an important job to be done, Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. When Nobody did it, Everybody got angry because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Somebody would do it, but Anybody realized that Nobody would do it. So consequently Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done in the first place.
Jonathan, I apologize if there was any delay on my part in responding back to you. Your anecdote is quite good and contains many valuable points. Passing the buck never works. Without responsibility there can be no chance of success. Irresponsibility leads you nowhere but to failure. There is nothing to prevent a person from reaching higher. At the end of the day as I mentioned in my article in order for our economy to function there a plethora of jobs (good, bad or indifferent) that must be performed. To thing we can all be “the king of the hill” is not realistic. If you don’t mind I would like to get your opinions on the statements contained hererin. Thank you for being such a loyal reader! Thank you as well for your expert commentary! I look forward to continuance of both. All my best.
Love this! May i have your permission to share this story, Jonathan Solomon?
… And that’s exactly the reason why I always like to highlight that success in life can mean different things to different people coming from different walks of life. It has no single unequivocal meaning…. like…ending up with a Porsche… a 68-feet sailboat… and things like that… Success means finding your (real) passion… fulfilling your (real) life’s calling… finding your life’s purpose…. It doesn’t matter what you do. … The idea that we are all equally important… each has its part to play… people who think that wealth is the key to everything… the key to happiness… make me laugh… It only works with people of nothing… empty people…idiotic people…. selfish…. It doesn’t work that way if you are the sensitive type… if you have an higher purpose… if you happen to be a person who wants to make the world a better place… – It’s true… if you got the bucks you can make many things… but money is also a burden… you have to worry about many things… you need to keep your feet on the ground more than ever… not to mention relationships with other people…. I will stop here… or the list of examples will grow too long… So… I concur with you Joel… thank you to all of you for doing what you do. Thank you Joel. Great article!
Massimo, You train of thought is on full display with your comments. I am referring to how well your points were articulated in writing. If you will what would be the ideal balance to strike a mental balance between the sometime never ending dream some people have about “being the captain of the ship” aka being the CEO and the reality (not necessarily a bad thing) of what a person does now for a living. We all want the wealth as common thinking promotes the idea that wealth equals power bringing with it the unbridled ability to do as one pleases. To move up in your career or in life in general you have to have clear cut goals with a plan to get to where you want to go. Thank you for presenting your very well written comment to the readers. Your efforts contributions are greatly appreciated as is your compliment. Please feel free to respond to my statements along with my query. All the best.