I have had to take a long hard look at things in the last couple of months based on the goings-on in my personal and professional life, and some hard questions were posed and have yet to be answered.
The one thing though that kept coming up for me was that there had to be more to life than the humdrum existence I was leading, completing everyday with almost zombie-like enthusiasm.
I had discovered the magical world of Network Marketing and I had already had a taste of the freedom it could provide, having returned from a business launch in Dubai followed by an exploratory trip to Phuket and Bangkok to seek out some business ideas. My return was however totally uninspiring and soul sapping, given that I returned to the Corporate jungle and was in the midst of one of the most defining fights of my career, although, at the time I myself did not know that.
My partner and I had been having a longstanding conversation around us having more to offer, but more importantly to show our kids.
The insanity of the battle I was fighting in my Corporate job merely reinforced my thought process around showing my kids something different, as I for one could not see my kids having to navigate and deal with the cesspool that was the Corporate world.
I honestly fear for my kids having to deal with the underhandedness and conniving in a Corporate job, given that their methodology of education teaches them something that is a direct contradiction to what they would come to experience in Corporate.
The sad reality is we have a generation of soft kids coming through now, and they come through with a sense of entitlement and very unrealistic views of the world we live in. Work ethic is sadly lacking and leaves much to be desired, so the thought of the current generation of kids hitting the Corporate world pulls at one's heartstrings simply because I know the grit required to make it in Corporate today is simply non-existent. I digress, so I will leave the lamenting for this generation for another day.
So the dilemma was figuring out what the proverbial silver bullet for this problem is, given that we all know and accept that we have to earn a living, as we all have costs attached to being on this earth. The conversations became more intense and really deep and probing questions ensued to resolve this conundrum, as one could very easily realise that there was more to life than working to live as well as living to work. Many scenarios were thrown out for extensive discussion both in large and smaller forums, and I began to see that more people were feeling the same way.
Let's just be real about something here, and it's something that has bothered me for many years. The sad reality for us is that we have 52 weeks in a year of which to work where we only are eligible in most cases to take leave for 4 weeks of the 52.
The math is simple, and it shows that we get just under 8 percent of the year off to recharge, sort out personal matters or deal with emergencies as they arise. In most instances you sadly do not get paid what you are worth no matter how much you upgrade your skills or take on more studies, coupled with the fact that once you hit 40, you reach an accelerated rate of unemployability if you were to lose your job.
So I found myself in a massive war at the office trying to secure the jobs of members of my team, as some bright spark had decided that they were surplus to requirements. The fight went all the way up the Human Resources chain, up to the Divisional Director, until in pure exasperation, I reached out to the Deputy CEO. The reason for my fervour was that firstly they were not doing the right thing by the staff, and secondly the rationalisation of the staff numbers was based on misinformation and lies. I started realising in all of the fighting that I was going to have to make a huge sacrifice for the stand I was taking, and I was at peace with that knowledge, as I was slowly starting to see some of the answers come to light.
I was listening more to my gut and finding those parts of me that I had lost along the way of my Corporate journey.
You are always taught to tow the line, never question anything and most importantly just worry about securing your employability. I felt like I was in the midst of an existential crisis, but this crisis had swept over me to bring me back to the authenticity and humanity in me. I saw things extremely clearly, and I once again understood my purpose and path in life.
I was placed in peoples lives to get them to certain places of growth, and to show leadership, but more than anything, I was to show a sense of humanity and authenticity.
I had come to a place in my life now where the need for employment would not come at the expense of my authenticity and much less my humanity. I could no longer suffer fools and accept the lies and deceit that had become the currency of the organisation, and with that my number was up and I was put on the retrenchment list. I accepted my fate, as I had fought the good fight, and landed my team safely into other positions, with not a single casualty in the retrenchments that were underway.
I must admit that it would be easy for me to just hop into the first available job in order to allay my fears around how I will meet my financial obligations and do what we always get told: "Put your pride in your pocket and..." I have however realised that I value my freedom more than that! I am certain that many would venture the question: "What freedom are you talking about?"
The answer to that is simple! The freedom to be true to myself! The freedom to be authentic! The freedom to live in my truth!
The reality is freedom is not free! The cost is paid in the moments of truth you come across in your daily life, it is paid in the cost of having to meet your financial obligations and provide for your family, it is paid in the moments you have to stand up for truth and human dignity. So no my friends, Freedom is not free!
I have found now that freedom to me is being able to be there for my kids in a way I have never been before! Being fully present, actively listening to and interacting with them, allaying their fears and guiding them on this path in this thing we call life. Freedom is... Only you can complete the sentence, so tell me? What is freedom to you? #blaauwchronicles #donttalkaboutitbeaboutit #lifestyle #boss #legend #bespoke #dapper #winning #dmoney #dolcevita #itsalllove #loveyours #legacy #authenticity #persistence #freedom #liveinyourtruth
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