Work-Life Harmony

 

What am I working for?

What am I resting in?

What am I living for?

3 big questions that made me reflect during our class. The answers to these 3 questions depend on one’s purpose. If a person is a bread-winner of the family, he may be working for money to make sure he can provide at least the basic needs to his loved ones. If a person comes from a well-off family, then financial needs may not be his top priority. He has enough buffers to find and chase his passion, learn from mistakes, and ultimately pursue his calling – may it be baking, photography, dancing, etc.

What am I working for? I see work as a career. I need to work to provide for myself and for my family in the future. I need to go up the corporate ladder to have a sense of fulfillment and be respected. I need to work to earn more money. But is it all about money? At this stage, maybe it is. But I know I need to do something more meaningful in the future. Bridging the gap between work as career and work as vocation could be challenging and would require more psychological and emotional maturity to realize it, but as early as now, I already have my plans. I truly believe that my calling is to be an entrepreneur. At age 40, I see myself retired from the corporate world to pursue my future business full time. At that stage, work will not be all about myself anymore; it will actually rely more on being a leader to my future employees as well as considering the welfare of the whole organization.

What am I resting in? I see leisure as utility. Rest is just another means to sharpen the saw. Outside work, I rarely go outside to have fun with friends anymore. Taking up MBA, being a part-time financial planner of Sunlife, and leading a small team to build a mobile app sure doesn’t sound like amusement. I’m now in a stage where I need to be productive even outside working hours; and when I say productive - I mean making more money (or at least will have a bearing to my future career). Bridging the gap between leisure as utility and leisure as contemplation may be very challenging as well due to time constraints. However, as a proud member of Iglesia Ni Cristo, even with my tight schedule, I still strive to attend worship services twice a week. I know it’s not enough but I have a plan in the future to be more active in the church organization.

What am I living for? Currently, I live to achieve. Achievement is key in order to meet my financial goals to prepare for the future. Integration between work and leisure may turn out to be self-centered for now, but I’m aware that it also goes along with life stages. Time will come that building my own integrity will be the top priority by giving and receiving – resolving while maintaining humility.