Alexander Jewish Family Service Career and Employment Center explores how as a society we have talked about work life balance and the importance of it, but never truly had full understanding.
Alexander Jewish Family Service Career and Employment Center explores how as a society we have talked about work life balance and the importance of it, but never truly had full understanding.
By Mandy Thibodeaux, Career Services Advisor, Alexander JFS
In a world lacking human connection, it’s hard to find our true selves. We spend so much time putting our best selves onto social media, hoping to gain some connection or purpose. No one talks about how hard life really is, how we struggle sometimes just to get through the day.
As children, we are inspired by the world around us, always dreaming of things we want to accomplish or be when we grow up. That childlike spark that fuels our hopes and desires that somehow, we lose over time. What happens when we grow up, why do we have to lose that? As we grow up, we begin to think about what we should do and what is expected of us, and less about what we want to do or what will make us happy. I feel that we are on a hamster wheel just trying not to fall off most days, and why? What is it all for? What makes us get up in the morning, grab our coffee; sit in traffic to get to an office where we spend eight plus hours, arriving home stressed out and tired. I’m not talking about the obvious reasons; I’m talking about purpose. What drives me is the true enjoyment of what I do. Now, can it be stressful, mentally, and physically tiring; absolutely! But it’s the purpose, since of value and fulfillment, making a difference, and impacting change; that drives me to keep going. If you haven’t found that career that gives you purpose, you will feel burnt out, overwhelmed, and tired; never achieving “work life balance”.
As a society we have talked about work life balance and the importance of it, but never truly had full understanding. During Covid we finally realized what work life balance looked like. Interesting that it took a “great forced pause”, to come to this realization. For me, the phrase “work life balance” means mental health. Taking care of our mental health is learning to balance work and home life. We may experience traumatic events in our life, such as divorce, death of a loved one, illness or getting fired/ laid off from a job. These experiences can impact and disrupt that balance we created; can alter how we view life, cause fear of failure and of the unknown.
Fear can not only drive our decisions but also cripple our true intent or purpose in life. Why is this so? We have all failed, sometimes it can be harder to bounce back, but we do somehow. So why not take that chance on a new career or life path; what’s the worst that can happen? The one thing that plagues my mind is regret, not failure. I regret some choices I have made but mainly regret those choices I was too fearful to make; and that is the worst kind of failure. Instead of saying no to something that scares you, start saying yes and see what starts to happen. Will this approach always work out? Absolutely not! But no one has ever regretted trying, it’s the not trying that causes the most distress in life. It’s time to make a change, find fulfillment and happiness!
You are uniquely and wonderfully made; and you have so much to offer the world! Make the choice to live the life you have been wanting, take chances; find a career you love; find a hobby that brings you joy; prioritize spending time with family and friends. Life is a journey, and each day is a new day; go find your purpose!
Check out all of the services the Alexander JFS Employment and Career Center offers HERE.
jfsemployment@alexanderjfs.org
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