posted August 29, 2007 07:58 PM         

What if you knew that you had certain strengths, and to not contribute them to a certain field would be a disservice to that field, and to society in general. But choosing this option would mean a life of greater stress, burden and demand.

posted August 29, 2007 10:24 PM         

quote:

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What is more important, career or happiness?

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posted August 29, 2007 11:45 PM         

HE IS HAS HAPPINESS!
HAPPENS IN A SNAP
A HAPPINESS HEAP
AS HE SHAPES
HIS PHASE
HE SHINES
SHIP SHAPE IS HE
IN HIS HAPPINESS!

posted August 30, 2007 02:39 PM         

But ya i don't think i phrased this post right, its not really about career or happiness...its a lot more complex than that. A higher stress career can make one happier if they are full employing their faculties.

posted September 05, 2007 01:35 AM         

Not being happy is a sign that something is wrong and needs to change. It's a type of pain. Sometimes we can endure pain and unhappiness, but it's for a greater personal reward later, at least if we're not masochists or what I consider insane (like the type who whip themselves because they believe it purifies them and makes them better people).

And for more:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/columns/wolfe060615.html

One last thing...I proved myself a very good librarian as a volunteer. Many had promised to show up for a children's reading program and I was the ONLY one who did so, and given that, the program was NOT pleasant, but VERY hard work. But I kept my word and endured.

Afterwards, I quickly learned how to shelve books, repair them, etc. I was already well-versed in using a library. Everyone was impressed by my contribution.

And then the boss said that we all had to pee in a cup. New policy.

Short and sweet, many volunteers were grannies and great grannies that hadn't even gotten a traffic ticket in their life, and they certainly couldn't drive on their own dime to the next town (as we were told to do) and hold their bladder for the convenience of bureaucrats. To this, the director said he'd look into getting something that he could stick into our mouths and get our saliva for testing.

My other arguments didn't phase him: I said we were volunteers, not employees, and he said it was policy because we might hurt ourselves. I pointed out that even someone intoxicated is unlikely to hurt themselves or anyone else. If they were THAT drunk, they'd be sent home anyway. He maintained it was policy. I pointed out that such a test was a violation of our 4rth and 5th amendment rights (unreasonable search and seizure and being forced to testify against one's self) and he said the Bill of Rights did not apply because it was a PRIVATE insurance company demanding it--even though the tax payers were still footing the bill for it.

I came REAL close to taking the test and waiting to hear I was proven clean. I wanted him to KNOW that I wasn't on drugs and had nothing to hide. And THEN I was going to pee in another cup and throw it in the director's face.

I'm serious. I was so insulted by his demand that had no real purpose than puritanical busybodiness. I, and other volunteers even more so, had proven our reliability and responsibility, and he was acting like we couldn't be trusted to do what we'd say we would do, and had been doing. Worse, they expected us--volunteers--to pay for the gas and more extra time to take the test (the insurance company or library/tax payers would pay for the test itself).

As it is, I took the more mature approach and simply stopped volunteering. The upside of this is that I can claim to have never surrendered my bodily fluids for inspection, a claim not many in the "land of the pee" can claim.

I wasn't the only one. The director lost at least half his volunteers over it. He seemed genuinely confused why were took it so personally, but he wouldn't back down on it. (And neither would we.)

The way I see it, any business or other organization (or even person) needs to EARN our service, not take it for granted. If "society" can't treat us decently, then we have no debt of decency to give back to society.

Oh, yeah, happiness is key. Challenge may be required for that, but it's irrelevant. Personal happiness is key, and anyone who wants MY service (as a volunteer or independent contractor) had best treat me right. But if they do so, I'll bend over backwards and go the extra mile for them. But I owe "society" nothing.