articles by Doris Helge the Joy on the Job Coach > Avoid the Security Trap
AVOID THE SECURITY TRAP
By Doris Helge, Ph.D. © 2008 Syndicated Columnist Joy on the Job Coach Academy Award winner Warren Beatty was a rat exterminator before he became an actor. He had job security. It’s difficult to take a risk when you think you need your job. Many of us settle for a position with a steady paycheck rather than face the unknown. Yet, you’ve known employees who did an excellent job, volunteered for extra duties, schmoozed with the boss and were still laid-off. In most industries, job security vanished with the typewriter. Even a fortuneteller can’t foresee which career paths will blossom and which will wilt on the vine. Most employees now change jobs every two years and switch careers every three years. You may think playing it safe — keeping a job you don’t enjoy, not standing up for yourself, or waiting to ask for a promotion is wise. Don’t starve your soul just to pad your pocketbook. Alexandria Brown’s mother tried to talk sense into her daughter when she announced her plan to leave her career as a successful copywriter, “But, Aly, you’ll lose your health insurance.” Aly yearned for freedom. She left her secure New York position with no job prospects. The next few months were rough but within a few years, Aly, The Ezine Queen, became a millionaire. What about her health insurance? She mails a check. I’ll never forget standing backstage with another speaker who was also waiting to make a presentation. I’d assumed he loved his work as much as I do. I was in for a shock. After we exchanged greetings, he muttered, “I’m so sick of doing this. I’d much rather be playing golf.” He had job security. It’s a tragedy to be successful doing something you hate. I made a decision decades ago that I’d rather be a “failure” doing something I love than be a success doing something I despise. That commitment to follow my passion has pulled me through many rough spots. Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams is a brilliant physician. He could have become very wealthy if he had been willing to conform to the norm. Patch felt so strongly about the need for alternative health care that he shunned security. He began to raise money for the Gesundheit! Institute so he could integrate alternative medicine into a traditional hospital. We don’t know the outcome in advance when we take a risk. Patch’s ideas were first scorned by his profession, but his passion paid off. He is now applauded around the globe for his innovations, generosity, humor, and courage. He organizes volunteers every year to travel to Russia. In Patch Adams’ style, they become clowns who cheer orphans and patients. Patch is aware of a basic truth about our work and our lives. Job security will never produce what we crave the most — a life rich in joy and meaning. A well-worn path will never lead to a greener pasture. If you want more of what you’ve already experienced, chain yourself to a limited potential by striving to maintain economic or job security in a world where neither exists. If you want to be amazed by your courage, endurance, and character, have a love affair with challenge, change, and uncertainty. Most people shy away from risks because they fear they’ll make a mistake. They dread failure because they think it will rob them of confidence. The opposite is true. Taking healthy risks builds self-esteem, even when we fail. On the other hand, when we don’t leap out of our comfort zone, we reinforce feelings of inadequacy. One of two things will happen when you move forward. Both will produce a positive result. If you’re successful, you’ll discover there was no reason to worry. If you fail, you’ll discover that you can handle failure. You’ll have more courage and confidence to take risks in the future. You deserve joy on the job. Explore the wisdom of insecurity and become the hero of your own life. ________________________________________________________________ Doris Helge, Ph.D., is an executive coach, corporate trainer, and speaker. She is author of “Joy on the Job” and “Transforming Pain Into Power,” published in many languages. Dr. Helge hosts the “Joy on the Job” radio show and www.MoreJoyOnTheJob.com. To discover how to create more fun and fulfillment at work and boost employee retention, contact Dr. Helge at Doris@MoreJoyOnTheJob.com.
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