The Unlived Life

Seeing family members struggle with jobs they dislike has been tough to face in this economy.  You want to be able to swoop in and repair the problem; or at least I do.  I want everyone to enjoy their job as much as I enjoy mine each day.  However, I know that at this point they only have two options: 1.) do their best to make the situation work for them or 2.) continue searching for a new job.  Searching for a new job isn’t easy by any means, so I fully understand that my above statement roughly translates to “suck it up and deal with it, cupcake” to some people.  All of that being said, I ran across a quote recently that really made me stop and ponder the strong meaning behind it.

“Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment and especially on their children than the unlived life of a parent.” C.G. Jung

How many people are out there floating their way through an unlived life?  After having a job I so strongly disliked, almost a year and a half ago, I have learned to never take for granted an opportunity where you get to wake up and go to work each day doing something you enjoy.  I know that there are many others out there living paycheck to paycheck working in a line of business that they dread each day.  It’s a heartbreaking realization, but one that is very common unfortunately.  However, how many of these unhappy employees are raising a family?  You children will learn quite a bit from what they see you doing.

I remember adults saying to me, “do as I say and not as I do” when I was a child.  Maybe certain things were more impactful than others, but I vividly remember many things I observed growing up that have contributed into molding my personality and work ethic over the years.  I’ve spoken in the past about how my mother’s untraditional career as a stand-up comic allowed her to be the ultimate stay at home mom simultaneously in my eyes.  It allowed us to travel and for me to have priceless experiences with her in my formative years that many other kids would never consider to be part of a traditional upbringing.  It allowed me the opportunity to see my mother on a career path that she genuinely enjoyed while also getting to reap the benefit of having her around during almost every one of my waking hours.

My passion to return to a career path that I enjoyed came from the assumption that there was no reason that wouldn’t be possible.  I had seen my mother do what she loved while I was growing up and knew it was a possibility for anyone willing to work for the opportunity.  It was a difficult jump to walk away from a financially stable job for one that was a bit more unpredictable, but I can say I have no regrets and am glad I followed my passion for entertainment.  I can say my environment improved exponentially the day I decided that it was time to return to living my life.  Are you floating through an unlived life or setting an example for the future generations who look up to you to follow?