Going back on an earlier theme

One of my more rousing blogs focused on the idea of embracing your past experiences, living for the moment and taking more risks (mantras for the past, present and future). Just because the thought dawned on me, I wanted to rehash some of the past experiences section.

I sat at my office the other day looking at CVs for internship candidates. The candidates had at least a degree and some had a master’s in the related field and were all vying for a 9 month placement. Part of me felt utterly inadequate to these people, as I only have a degree from a less established university and I was slightly humbled at the ridiculous standards graduates have to attain to get even an internship. I then took a mental step back and realised that these graduates are very different to me and my circumstances. This internship is simply a stepping stone on to another job, which they will undoubtedly achieve and even when I was a graduate I did not land into a job (not that I had any idea what I wanted) and it was not as easy for me either.

My envy for these graduates soon turned into sympathy: they have not had the work experiences I have had and are going into a career I would not dream of doing (as it is dreadfully dull). I may lament my egregious work life from time to time but I have come to realise that it has actually been a valuable journey. I have encountered so many different environments, people and cultures that nothing fazes me. A job is not a precious thing to me, yes, it is my source of income but it does not define me. Work funds my ‘real’ life i.e. outside of work hours, and if you were to remove work from my life, I would still have something to show. I pity those who feel so beholden to a job that they have nothing outside of that realm and feel they cannot escape.

I want my epitaph to read I had lots of interesting experiences, met loads of people and lived life to the full, and not that I slaved away in an office and was a total bore (well, I hope no one thinks I am boring!).

If your life was an equation, would you want it to equal zero or one million? I know what I would choose!