Friday, February 23, 2007

Thoughts of work

The last 6 months of being off full-time employment taught me much. It made me realise how much of my identity and self-worth came from my job and how lost I was without it. It made me realise that perhaps my priorities were topsy-turvy, that there really is so much more to living than merely working my bum off.

The first few months of not working were really weird. I felt extremely unemployed. Then I got my head round the fact that I could spend time doing all the things that I'd meant to do but just didn't have the time too. Then I got quite used to having time to do things at a leisurely pace.

The week before starting this job, I was apprehensive. Apprehensive about not being competent enough, about the long hours and about whether I'd allow my job to take hold of my life again.

2 weeks into work, I can say that the hours are undoubtedly long, but at my age, one should be able to cope with that. My competencies will improve, so that's a work in progress. And as for my job being my life, I've come to realise it is down to attitude and perception. I want to be good at what I do, but experience has now taught me that it will not be at the expense of selling my whole being to my job. So whilst it takes up a lot of my time, it has not taken hold of my life.

More importantly, I know that God gave me this job. So each day, before I head to work I give thanks for what I've been given. I pray that He will be with me in everything that I do... yup, especially in the "Help! What do I do now" situations. Then I ask that I will work with all my heart as working for God and not for man. Equipped with the greatest tool, I head off.

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