June 5, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Stop, Smell, Smile
June 6, 2008 at 1:31 am
Steve is right. There is more in life than our career. In IT, we do our best, work overtime and endure stress. No matter how much extra effort you put in, your company can only provide limited percent of annual increment, which is not much difference from an average worker. So, what's the point of putting all your life into building your career and spending so little time with our family and letting go of our stress on my family members (sometimes when there is much stress at work).
I very much agree that there are ups and downs and I usually look for other job opportunities when it's down and I end up finding myself job hopping.
Going into a new company isn't going to solve anything as I'll feel down again and look for other opportunities. Now, I'm focusing on building up soft skills, which I think is equally important as technical skills if you want to move up the ladder, instead of job hopping, which makes it difficult move up into seniority if you keep changing jobs. Unless of course, after your have significantly improved your soft skills, you may be offered a higher position at your company or another company.
In conclusion, I think we should work averagely, without over doing it, and at the same time build on soft skills and love our family.
June 6, 2008 at 3:14 am
A cliche? Perhaps.
A grain of truth? Definitely.
Semper in excretia, suus solum profundum variat
June 6, 2008 at 4:03 am
Absolutely steve, we are caged animal now-a-days. People find us in cage (office) most of the time. My son want me to play with him. He waits in the night. One day at 11 pm he was asking do u have time to play with me now? I started thinking what I am doing, for whom I am earning if my people are not getting me or not enjoying with me or not enjoying.
I love to see my son's face at the end of the day happy but I see he looks at behind pillar curiously trying to understand whether I am exhausted or not. If I say I am damn tired he sadly walks towards his room. After seeing that I try to spend some time with him (if I am free) and also taught him how to play cricket and football alone........
So I tell my juniors enjoy your life socially also. Tell everybody work but party more hard
June 6, 2008 at 5:00 am
The grand juggling act that we must all perform is one that is not easy. One cannot exceedingly excel in anything without giving their hear and soul into it. That includes family and loved ones. It is healthy to be conflicted in regard to how we spend our time. That conflict encourages us to shift focus periodically for a more balanced life.
John Lennon said it best when he penned the line "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.". That song, "Beautiful Boy", was to his young son, Shawn, and his eagerness to watch him grow up. It is even more heartbreaking to know that the song was on John's last album.
There are times when our work demands do and should fall to the bottom of priorities and Chris' situation is certainly one of those. Our thoughts are with you Chris!
June 6, 2008 at 5:53 am
I have always tried my best to be thankfull for what I have. However, from time to time we all take things for granted and fall into that trap. I am 42 years old and in November I was diagnosed with Prostate cancer. In February I had surgery and after 7 weeks I was back to work and now am functioning fine and 100% cancer free ! This has been a little of a wake up call even to me. I have started looking at alot of things differently and my life and my marriage could not be any better right now. To a degree having the cancer was the best thing that could have happened to me. Isn't that strange !!!
June 6, 2008 at 6:33 am
It is funny how that sometimes it takes a crisis such as a severe illness, or death of a loved one to get us to take notice our of lives, and perhaps our mortality.
My life philosophy is that this is not a dress rehearsal for life...I don't get to go back and do everything right 'next time'. There is no next time...this is it. Don't be one of those people who at 65 years of age says, 'gee, I wish I had [fill in the blank] 20 years ago', or whenever.
You can never regain the time that has passed. You can not go back and enjoy your childrens youth once they are grown. Too late then. And we never know when our own 'end' will be, but it will probably be before we did all the things we really wanted to do.
Enjoy life now, everyday!
If it was easy, everybody would be doing it!;)
June 6, 2008 at 7:10 am
Trader Sam (6/6/2008)
It is funny how that sometimes it takes a crisis such as a severe illness, or death of a loved one to get us to take notice our of lives, and perhaps our mortality.My life philosophy is that this is not a dress rehearsal for life...I don't get to go back and do everything right 'next time'. There is no next time...this is it. Don't be one of those people who at 65 years of age says, 'gee, I wish I had [fill in the blank] 20 years ago', or whenever.
You can never regain the time that has passed. You can not go back and enjoy your childrens youth once they are grown. Too late then. And we never know when our own 'end' will be, but it will probably be before we did all the things we really wanted to do.
Enjoy life now, everyday!
Well said. I had my scare a few years back, and I've been slowly but surely been making changes to get there.
Never mind that we've all heard these words before, perhaps it's time to actually take them to heart. Our jobs can and often are intoxicating, stressful, crazy, and....addictive. We all get hooked on that crazy pace, and being able to fly in, fix the world a little in twenty keystrokes and fly out to tilt at the next windmill. I will be the first to admit - I'm right up there with work junkies, because I get a charge out of what I do. But it's no excuse to short-change everyone around you; providing for them is wonderful, but that includes providing some of yourself to them (possibly what they want most.)
So - set limits for yourself, and stick to them. Take time away, leave the laptop at home, and just do. Anything. Just enjoy the time - you ain't getting it back (if you ARE - let me know how, we need to talk!)
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Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?
June 6, 2008 at 7:53 am
I couldn't agree more! I recently changed jobs specifically because I wanted to be more active with my kid's sports and extracurricular activities. She'll be going to college in another few years and I didn't want to miss out! It would have been impossible had I not made the switch. No job is more important than taking an active role in your kid's lives.
June 6, 2008 at 8:40 am
To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.
(Sorry, couldn't resist. Playing Age of Conan too much.)
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
June 6, 2008 at 8:44 am
My oldest IS going to college this fall. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. When she was born, I decided that I had to have a balance between work and spending time with my family, and I did as much as possible. Sometimes my boss wasn't happy (he's childless..) but he rarely prevented my time off or criticized my reasons for not working 80 hours a week. When I needed to be there, he knew I would be there. Management needs to understand the importance of balance as burnout can be right around the corner. Cranky people make lousy employees. Whether it's time with family or simply a little alone time, if we don't make the time, what good is all the money we are earning? Stress, heart attacks, whatever? What have we truly gained, material things? Give me a day to myself and my family anytime, it keeps me sane, well most of the time anyway! (teenagers, you've got to love them!). As Steve said "Stop, Smell, Smile" - to that I'd add "and Live".
-- You can't be late until you show up.
June 6, 2008 at 9:08 am
We hear the words often that we should:
1. Do what you have a passion for
2. Live well, work hard, play harder.
3. Enjoy life now while you are young
4. Enjoy your family while you can.
5. Take the dream vacation before you are not able to do it.
6. Play now and then play later.
We hear this far more often then we realize. Could that be because so many have waited so long that they can not now live the dream? Do it now, and if it does not work out try something else, but do not give up the dream.
I started one career and change and then changed again. I have no regrets about it at all. I could have retired earlier if I had stayed in the first career, but it might have killed me long ago as well.
I have always felt that if it is legal, ethical moral, profitable, and you would love doing it then let it rip!!!!!
Take a risk! It is well worth it.:exclamation:.:exclamation:.:exclamation:
Miles...
Not all gray hairs are Dinosaurs!
June 6, 2008 at 9:12 am
And just a friendly reminder....Don't try the "stop, smell, smile" trick in your data center. Most of them have some seriously FUNKY smells - whatever smile comes out of that will likely be you desperately trying to hold onto your lunch....:):sick:
Works well outside though!!!!:w00t:
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Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?
June 6, 2008 at 1:12 pm
By far the BEST editorial or thought on this and any other site.
Sharma V.
June 6, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Wow, :blush: thanks
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