One of the topics in class is work-life harmony. I do agree with my professor that life should be in harmony rather than balanced. There should be an integration, and one should not limit and divide himself to the different aspects of life. It is true that at times, tradeoffs are necessary but in most cases, life should be integrated into different activities.
Work as a career
Work for me as of the moment is a necessity. A need to sustain a living. As we were told, money is good. What is bad is greed. Greed that most people fall for. It is a sickness that nobody admits.
Anyway, I would like to focus on the three big questions discussed in class.
1. What am I working for?
2. What am I resting for?
3. What am I living for?
Work for me is a career. Aside from working to earn a living, it is a way for me to define myself. I do not work only for income, thus I cannot work on just any job that will give me money. I’d like my career to be fulfilling. It should be something that I can be proud of. This is the reason that I’m on my third job since I started working. My first job is not actually my choice. Then my second job is a test for me. My current job is a result of my previous choices, for which I feel fulfilled. I am working for the future. I am building myself so that when I choose to stop working, I can stop.
Maximizing leisure
On leisure, I think I am on all three levels: contemplation, utility and amusement. I rest to recharge myself so that I can come back to work with more energy to take on more challenges. At the same time, it is a time for me to reflect, to find out where I am and determine my next move.
One of the activities that I do for leisure is read books. Not because I love reading, but I know I need to read. Just like the seventh habit of Stephen Covey, I know that I need to constantly sharpen my saw, which is also one of the reasons why I enrolled in an MBA class.
Working on an integrated life
For the integrity, I am on the achievement and working on integrity. I would like to live a fulfilling life. I would like to be recognized, hence the need for achievements. I have this dream of being recognized as someone who contributed to humanity in one way or another. It is my motivation to do well in whatever I am doing right now. I want to be a role model to a lot of people and influence their lives to do well for the sake of everyone and everything.
Life for me is a canvas. Anything can be painted on it, but not everyone will be able to understand. I want a painting that will inspire people. A life of meaning especially during this era where everyone seems to be focused on being on top, no matter how. I want to show people that something can be achieved without stepping on each other and make them understand by setting an example.
The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. College of Business, De La Salle Univeristy. This article is part of his reflections for the course Lasallian Business Leadership with CSR and Ethics. Visit his blog at http://clearbutnotblank.blogspot.com/.
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of De La Salle University, its faculty, and its administrators.