All Work and No Play

We work too hard. And for what? For money? For fame? For security? Though the reasons may vary some, people ultimately seem to want the same thing. Happiness. And yet, in America, it feels like few truly have it. Since its foundation, America was known as the land of opportunity. If someone was willing to work hard, they could find the happiness that one desires. At first, work was seen as a gift that could allow a person to grow and succeed. But unfortunately, Americans today have taken it to the extreme. If we work hard now, we can rest later. If we work hard now, we will be happy in the long run. But the long run never seems to come because we become so focused on working that we put off the here and now.

Being in college, I have come all too familiar with this idea. Since high school, I always had a desire to excel in academics until it became an obsession. If I studied a little harder, I could be the best in the class. If I was the best in the class, I’s get a scholarship. If I had a scholarship, I could save money in school. If I saved money in school, I would be better off for my family. If I was better off, I could enjoy nicer things. If I had nicer things, I would be happier. This internal rat race turned on an internal hamster wheel and a desire to work. Before I knew it, nothing I did seemed good enough and someone surrounding me always seemed to be better off. Maybe if I worked harder, I could be better off too. So I’d put my head down and I’d put the blinders up. But as I've finished up my college career, I've heavily reflected on what I have to show for it. I have a high GPA, a solid job offer, and no debt. But do I have quality friendships? Do I have lasting memories? Do I have one-of-a-kind experiences?

As I reflected upon this idea, I felt as though I ended college with an empty hand. I sacrificed current happiness for the potential of future gain. And that’s what I wanted to change. I knew I couldn't be the only one experiencing this. I wanted to ensure that those around me realized that the materials aren't worth it. The nicer houses, the fancy cars, the big jobs; it all fades away. If we spend our lives working for the next best thing, we will never be satisfied. Originally, I anticipated my call to change simply reflecting around this idea. The idea that American’s work too hard in hopes of gaining worldly success. As I began to search history, I saw a pattern. Humans are accustomed to working. The Protestant work ethic places a high value on working and explains that hard work in turn provides salvation. So people took to working in the fields and limited sunlight provided a limited work day.  But with the industrial revolution and the invention of electricity, the work day could extend into the wee hours of the night.

Sharing my idea with others, they began to realize that they too had their blinders on as I did. They were working and working and working all for something they realized they may not actually want. Along my quest for the answer on how to fix this dilemma, I conversed with a stranger who brought in a great insight. “Perhaps work wouldn't be so bad if people just did what they actually liked,” the man remarked. So I watched people work, I heard others talk, I read blog posts trying to find out more! Do we really want to be working this hard? There is no doubt that in life that work is necessary. But the more I reflect upon the idea, the more I stand behind my call that we all need to take a step back and enjoy where we’re at because in the end, time is all we have.

UPDATE: So where do we go from here? The more I reflect upon this idea, the more I realize that it is something that everyone truly wants. We all want to enjoy our time. We all want to have strong relationships and rich experiences. We all wish we could disconnect and truly enjoy our vacations for what they're worth. But we've instilled in ourselves this fear and unrealistic expectations. Writing this made me reflect on a break I had last year. I stayed at an apartment with spotty service and I didn't check my email for a week. Surely the world would stop turning. Surely I would fall worlds behind in my school work. But nothing happened! So as we go forward, let's prioritize our time. Time is all we have! Money will fade but memories come with us. So let's make them while we can! Work will always be there tomorrow!