My Philosophy

When I used to get into the crowded early morning lift at work, I would hear people ask 'How are you?'. Invariably the answer would be 'Busy.'
Just for fun, every so often I'd respond 'Well, I'm a bit quiet at the moment, not much on.'You could almost see everyone straining to create some space, to not be seen with such a loser.
The need to be seen to be busy, the association of busy-ness with success, has become an integral part of modern life.
It makes us thrive on a full diary, to get irritated when there is a gap, and to feel lost at the weekend if we aren't checking emails.
As we are climbing the slippery pole it is wonderful. We have a sense of purpose and direction underpinned by our work and ambitions.
But when we have achieved those ambitions, or we have peaked, we are ill prepared for the 'What next?' question.
We are still young, or at least so much younger than past generations, who worked and then retired.
And because our work, our programmed need to provide security, has been all consuming, we are suddenly very vulnerable.

• Why, if I'm so successful, do I feel frustrated and dissatisfied?
• What if I haven't accumulated enough wealth?
• What else can I do, this is all I know?
• What if I wither and die from not operating at 110%? What will I do with all that time?
• How do I reconnect with my spouse and family? What will we talk about?
• When people ask what I do, what will I say?

And then we justify why it is ok to stay as we are:

• I'm indispensable to my clients/people/business, I can't let them down.
• I know I want to change direction, but not for a couple of years.
• It's getting harder to do it all, I need to spend more time at the gym.

The dramatic shift I have seen in my working lifetime, from proper 3-week holidays and regular (albeit long) working hours to 24/7 accessibility and a live-to-work culture, has created a very different challenge for our generation. But there is a life out there, a rich and fulfilling one, once you find a new sense of purpose. One that is more about being rather than doing.