I looked back at my life & the lives of those I love enough to care
about. (This was while, suprise suprise, my eyelids were coming
together) from advertising to radio to banking to magazine editing.
Most were jobs, the only opportunities available were changing
departments or promotion.
I'm not knocking paid employment. I'd rather be slapped silly than do
that...well, not really, but I trust my point is made clear. It has
been a ride to crazy places. I think that if I were to choose, I'd
have to say... Job Opportunities.
Let me highlight some of the things I've learned in terms of employment.
1. Work sucks. It doesn't matter what you're doing, if there's an
aspect that requires drudgery, then it sucks. It has been a very
dulling affair for me. 6 figures cannot make up for dying dreams. In
advertising I wanted to make short films, in radio I wanted to make my
own comedy programmes, in banking I wanted to revolutionize lending
processes so the economy would be supported by the banking industry
(not the other way round. No apologies from my end on this because the
chickens came home to roost & the economy didn't feel any obligation
to aid the banks), in magazines I wanted to validate the readers by
offering succour via articles that would hit home not just parade
other people's opinions. But in advertising I had climbing obligations
(I was being used, but I didn't mind since I was learning on the job.
I should have been paying THEM), in radio I wasn't a good politician
(I'm still rubbish at it. I'd rather a good job done as a team, than
pulling team members down. It's true. It's King's College thing, to
back-up, support & defend your mates. Floreat), in banking I had to
deal with keeping other people's promises while stomaching the insults
for my desire to help my customers more than wanting to get money from
them (I do concede the relationships were older than my involvement in
the bank, but when push comes to shove, the small businesses we could
have supported would have done more for us than the big businesses
that 'remember' to perform their loans with a feeling that we needed
them more than they needed us. My opinion anyway.) in magazines I hate
having to babysit publishers while trying to do my work (and politics
came in again. I tried to stand up for the team, everyone just looked
at me like I was crazy. Well, when things came to a head, as I'd been
trying to forestall, I kept my opinions to myself. I couldn't afford
half-a-shit about their problems.)
There were opportunities abound in these situations, but it does feel
dishonest to do 'your' work at the expense of the 'employer's' work.
Still some people get by that way. Won't knock them about it. My drum
follows different strokes.
I was offered an opportunity to work under a draconian chap who's
pleasant enough on the informal tip but a dragon on the formal. I'm
still praying about it. I've got 24 hours to reply. Whatever I get
from God, I will do. I just hope I hear clearly. In times like these,
hunger screams pretty loudly. Heh heh...
I know that if I do take the opportunity, I stand to touch things I
only dreamed about, even if the work sucks & I have to play
pretend-politician. It comes with a price, opportunity.
Very often, you get peeled back like an onion until you stand naked,
bare of all psychological covering & in need of emergency TLC. You get
too tired to pray & hear from God for your next move.
At this point I will quote Bolaji Idowu- Everybody has their fights.
There are some fights that when you win, you don't have to fight most
of the others.
Opportunities present those kind of fights to you. I don't know what
your fight is, or what your opportunities are (in or outside paid
employment) but I do know this...if God, who gives us the power to
make wealth, is all you're looking at or looking for, He will add
everything, & I mean everything without exclusion, to you.
I have to shut down now. Thinking of the hard-mind mentality I'll need
to keep up with God, and grateful that He has made the strength
available to keep up. All that's on me right now, is to do it.
I'm not smart, by the way. Maybe that's what'll come out of me at the
end of this road. Maybe.
--
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