Why I Endure

This is skirting one of my rules; I will not talk badly about my job, and I won't but I want to stress the good things.

I don't have the most glamous job. In fact, it has a lot of negatives. One positive aspect is that I am surrounded by very intelligent people that know what they're doing. They are competent and specialized. They all bring something to the table. Sometimes it feels like I'm one of the lesser smart ones in the room... naahh!  I work here despite the negatives because it provides many positives, one of which is living in Korea.

I love this place; I love Daegu and it's four distinct seasons, it's regional character, and it's satori, or dialect. I've learned so much and lived here so long that being here has become the point, with my job being a distraction to my life.  I work to live.  I smile when I say that for two reasons.  First, it reminds me about that movie --- Under the Tuscan Sun and second, because if you knew me when I was in my twenties, then I was living to work.  My what a little age and a little girl will do to you.

I could do something else, but until my plan for world domination is complete, I have to go to my daily grind. Lately I've been reading about freelancing. A lot of the blogs I read talk about this, about leaving the cubicle and setting your own schedule and living a happier life. While that is appealing, it takes a lot of work and self-discipline. Not a problem, but what they fail to mention is the setup time, client base, and reputation that needs to built before people will trust your work. One of the things that Tim Ferris writes about, and I agree that I should expand on, is multiple income streams. A drawback of having only one job, or one income stream, is that it makes me dependent on it instead of the other way around. Hopefully, this blog and maybe a few other projects I'm working on will help me with that. Just to clarify, I'm not looking to leave my job, just not be dependent upon it. By developing multiple income streams I could become a better employee by being able to speak up more. Currently I constantly try to weigh my words before I speak.

An interesting characteristic between happiness and income is that it is generally an inverse relationship. The greater the happiness, the less income and vise-versa. It is rare to find a job that has both. It can be created, but again it takes time and acceptance of risk. And that my friends is what I can't do. I won't risk the welfare of my family for my own happiness. I am a man, and I accept my reality and any burdens or success that I must bear for my family.