As a man I need to earn money. I’m not talking about millions, but enough to support my family and maintain our current lifestyle. We have never been the pretentious type so having loads of money is not something that was ever an issue. I just want to earn enough to live comfortably. Why is that so difficult? Am I expecting too much? I don’t think so.
Through out human history society has always placed the burden or I should say responsibility on the man to provide for his family. It goes all the way back to our ancestral beginnings. Our caveman predecessors would go out and hunt for food while the women would stay at home and take care of the home. I am quite certain that if my caveman ancestor had a starving family back home he would be extremely depressed if he failed to return that night with fresh kill to feed them. The obvious difference today of course is the necessity of hunting for food has been replaced by the need to earn money.
I am 44 years old and I have had to re-invent myself three times. That is to say I have had to switch careers three times. When I was about 25 years old an older friend of mine who at the time was 58 said to me that most people have to start over two to three times during their lives. At the time I didn’t believe him. Well it’s not that I didn’t believe him, it just didn’t sink in. You see, he was right! Many people lose their job for a variety of reasons. Layoffs, plant closings, consolidations and so on. Most of these people are now displaced and unable to find similar employment. They are forced to start over and in some cases in an entirely new profession. That is if they are lucky enough to even find a job.
Few things are as frustrating to a responsible man who wants to work but is unable to find suitable employment. It’s not that you don’t try but sometimes it just seems like you are shoveling s**t against the tide. There is no progress.
It’s the contraction that hurts the most, the adjustment to not earning as much money as you have become accustomed to. You are forced to scale back and that hurts. It’s humbling to say the least. But most of all…It’s painful.
As I said, I have HAD TO re-invent myself three times so far and I am only 44 years old. From my experience, I can tell you that the most important thing to starting over is to START! Just Start! Once you get the ball rolling you never know in what direction it might take you. But at least you are moving forward. And that is the most important thing. Progress! I am big on progress. Make today better than yesterday. Even if it is only one small step, you are still ahead of yesterday. You have taken a step in the right direction and that is what counts.
If you do not move forward you will get run over.
Take a step today…
