Preview

Working to Live or Living to Work?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
557 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Working to Live or Living to Work?
Are you living to work or working to live? That is an important question that many would love the answer, but unfortunately it just isn’t that simple. The majority of people everywhere, need to work to make a living and provide for their families but their job isn’t exactly what they would love to do with the rest of their lives. Others are fortunate enough to love their “work” and enjoy it to the fullest, so if they didn’t have to do the work to live, they still would. I believe that for a lot of successful peoples’ original “work” becomes their passion. It transfers from a need to a want. In Steve Jobs’ Commencement speech at Stanford in 2005, he suggested finding what you love, and the money will come after. Luckily he found what he loved to do early and opened his extremely successful business. Although, there were a few bumps in the road along the way to his success, it was all worth it in the end and encourages young people to do the same. Jobs says, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.” You have to trust that the dots will connect in the future, and this approach worked for him and made all the difference in his life. Contrary to Steve Jobs’ speech, Meagan McArdle wrote an interesting article putting a practical spin on the loved inspirational speech. She says that doing what you love and following your bliss in life is a great idea but it is not realistic. She says, “Doing what you love, and never settling until you find it, is a costly signal of your career prospects.” She believes that your career should be something you enjoy, but it is important to look at big picture. There are not only limited jobs out there that are fun and high paying but those jobs are the ones most people want. So maybe settling for something less great will still give you a great outcome.
I think that you can have a good life and be in anything you choose to do. I feel that it is extremely important to do something

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    My present position is a Marketing professional which is one of the career matches under the artistic personality type. I love what I do and the freedom in which it allows. My job allows me to be me and express myself. In the end I intend to obtain my degree in the healthcare communication and marketing field. I feel that I have finally found my niche. I feel being satisfied and loving what you do will show through in your personality, the way you handle yourself and the way that you interact with others. I am more confident and relaxed when doing what I am passionate about. I have had many clients say to me that they chose my service because of me. They could see how much I believed in it and it made them comfortable enough to make the decision to move forward. Choosing the right career makes all the difference. Money is part of the factor, because we need it to live, but passion is what will ultimately drive you forward. Whereas just the opposite happens if you take a job you hate. The money may be…

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    On the day of June 12, 2005 at the University of Stanford, a speech was given by one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time, Steve Jobs. His words were truly inspiring and very effective at what he was trying to convey. And that was to pursue the dream or goal that you would want to achieve, and to silence those who say you can’t or it’s not possible. He had very much to say, but was it all necessary. That leaves you to decide.…

    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The article Finding Your Heart’s True Calling by Gary Selby tugged at my heartstrings a bit as it reiterated questions that I have asked myself over and over again. The piece assured me that I’m not the only person who is worried that my major may not support me, and solidified my belief that my occupation should be enjoyable to do and fulfil the need to do meaningful work. I have always known that I do not want to live my life wishing that I was doing something else. What was most surprising to me in the article was when the author described himself reflecting on his own journey by stating, “And yet when I look back, amazingly, I really can see the outline of a coherent plan” (7). I never had thought about that before.…

    • 1326 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In conclusion, although I may not exactly know what I want to do in my life, I know my skills will get me to a good place. As I get older, I gain new experience, which will be essential later in…

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    If you had the chance to do something that would change the way the world functions, forever, would you take it? CEO of Apple and Pixar animations, Steve jobs, in his commencement speech to the Stanford graduating class of '05, "You've got to find what you love", Jobs adopts a hopeful tone in order to inspire and persuade the graduates to do what they love, and live their lives to the fullest. He speaks, using his own credibility, and stories of his past to touch on the emotions, to inspire, and to further educate the newfound graduates.…

    • 387 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Unfortunately, that is not the case for most people. I would assume the majority of people would sacrifice doing something they love if it meant more money. Personally, I would like to find a happy medium which I believe most people should try and do. Some people may get lucky and would love to be a surgeon or an engineer. For those who aren’t so lucky, you have to make a decision. Not only a decision, but one of the biggest of your life. You have to either sacrifice some happiness for more money, or vice versa. In the end, I believe your decision should purely be based on what you believe will make you the happiest, because as long as you have that it doesn’t matter how much money you…

    • 330 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Steve Jobs lived a life unparalleled by the common man. Raising some of the most successful corporations from the ground up, being at the forefront of the technological revolution, and battling pancreatic cancer for a number of years were all things that he succeeded in accomplishing throughout his 56 years of life. He also happened to deliver a brilliant commencement address to one of the finest academic institutions in the world. Any college graduate in the audience that sunny afternoon at Stanford University was in for a treat. The irony behind the whole situation was the fact that Steve Jobs himself, although arguably one of the most successful men of the 21st century, never graduated college. “…this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation”, Jobs confesses immediately after he begins speaking. Throughout the speech, the experiences he shares with the audience all share a common theme; the pursuit of happiness will lead you down the road of success if you follow your intuition and do what makes you truly happy. He conveys this message with the use of a cause and effect analysis, contrast, and personal anecdotes.…

    • 1523 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the real world, people search for jobs that will give them personal satisfaction, along with a good paycheck. Unfortunately, we all are not lucky enough to get the jobs that we want, so we have to settle for what is available at the time. I mean, how many people really dreamed of being like Calvin, and working at McDonalds, or who really had aspirations of laboring at the local Shell station? This is not always the case, a lot of people actually decide what they want to be, then actually accomplish their career goals. Most people, when searching for a career, usually pick something that they would enjoy, rather than something that they hate to do, but pays well.…

    • 989 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The most important thing is in the middle, at the intersection of these three circles. If you could live your life in that place, you will have it made. You will be doing something that works with your core competency, something you can be the very best in the world at. You are deeply passionate about your work and can not believe you are getting paid for this. That passion and joy drives your economic engine.…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Luckily, though, these decisions aren't permanent. No matter how old you are - or no matter how long you've been working in your current profession - it's never too late to create a new career path based on your passions. If you think there's no money in that, think again. As soon as you understand your passions, you'll discover there's a big world out there!…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The article “Are You Deciding On Purpose” about the interview of author, speaker, and counselor Richard Leider really made me think about my life and what I want to do with myself. Leider brings up many great points in the interview and it was an eye opener for me after I finished reading the article. The first thing he mentions in the interview is how people are intimidated by all the choices we have now as career options. Nowadays, there are so many career paths to choose from that it overwhelms people and the decisions that they make. I think this is true for everyone and especially me. I thought about this for a while and I too do not have any idea what I want to do in my life. I have changed my mind many times about what I wanted to do as a career and I always thought about the money. After I finished reading the article, I realized that picking a career path is not all about the money. It’s about whether you enjoy what you are doing because you spend 60% of your entire life working. If I spent 60% of my entire life just working to pay the bills, I would be miserable by the time I’m retired because there wasn’t any satisfaction or fulfillment for me. I still don’t have any clue on what I want to do with my life but reading this article really changed my mind on a lot of things.…

    • 605 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    “If you work at something you love, patiently, consistently, and with focus, not only will you get where you want to get, but every moment you will be where you want to be” –Milind Soman…

    • 1476 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dorothy Sayer Theory

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages

    I agree with Dorothy Sayer’s in her idea that some individuals only choose certain occupations because of the income or the status that they could gain. With our every increasing money focused society, it is hard to not consider income as one of the qualities of choosing a career. Although, it is important to look beyond those two characteristics. There are many careers that are essentially a service to others. I can only hope that my accounting mindset will be just that: a service to others. If my abilities, desires, and opportunities all aligned my life as an accountant would be perfect. I would see my dreams of becoming a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) come true; however, the title CEO would mean more to me than just a status. It would boost my inner confidence and reassure me that I can achieve my dreams with hard work and dedication. I think everyone should consider their jobs like the warriors did when fighting for our…

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This is the basis for Steve Jobs speech at Stanford in 2005. He began by talking about his early life and how he did go to college but felt that it was not benefitting him, and just costing his parents money. With this feeling, he dropped out and decided to pursue his dream which, eventually, became not only a reality, but something bigger than he could have ever imagined. With how Job’s life turned out, he felt that if someone has enough passion for something they love then they can turn it into a career and always be happy within their jobs since it is something they love. If someone does whatever it is that they love, no matter how much money they make, it will always be worth it since they feel that there is absolutely nothing better than what they are doing.…

    • 960 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Why do people do what they love doing for their profession, rather than working at a job that will get them more money? Or why did people who get a lot of money from their job not follow their dream careers? Everyday men and women of all ages and aspirations start their paths on their future goals, life careers, and who they plan to be. But at what cost? Every day I see men and women choosing their careers. Careers that pay well. And careers that are the most enjoyable and fulfilling but doesn't pay the best. I don't go a day without thinking about my future and what it will have in store for me. It always seems so easy at first. Just choose a career and off I go. But there remains the temptations, the regrets, that hole in your heart. That last missing puzzle piece that you don't know what it is or where to find it. The opinions and oppressions of others put me down and turn me away from my dream. Then the friends and idols I have met or seen have raised me up in such a way like no others alike them could make me think as positive about my life as I think now.…

    • 612 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays