Luck by Design: Certain Success in an Uncertain World by Richard E Goldman

Author:Richard E Goldman
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Published: 2008-12-31T18:30:00+00:00

5

You Are Going to Have to Work

OVER THE COURSE OF YOUR life, the one thing that you’re going to do that will take up most of your time and much of your energy and that, in the long run, will be what ultimately defines who you are is the work that you do. It is also a large part of the meaning of your life. It is the way in which you can draw out and exercise your unique qualities in order to expand your consciousness and in order to leave your mark on the world. Whether you work for yourself or are part of a company with thousands of workers, work is the portal to the rest of your life.

And while it is often not referred to as work, parenting definitely falls in this category. It is, without a doubt, the most difficult work that there is. It is a “job” that requires extraordinarily long hours, pays no money (in fact, requires your money, constantly), grabs at your soul like nothing else you’ll ever experience, and that, in the long run, will be the most rewarding job you ever have.

If you have chosen to be a stay-at-home parent and can make this happen in your life, I applaud you. There is nothing—nothing—that will ever come close to the meaning, importance, and satisfaction you will get out of being a parent. Unfortunately, because of a bit of misadvertising and a bit of misogyny, in many circles, “just” being a parent does not carry a lot of status. How often do you meet someone and one of the first questions you or they ask is, “What do you do?” If the response is, “I’m a stay at home parent,” or something along those lines, too often the reaction is often a murmured, “Oh” followed by the next question, “What did you do before you were a parent?” as if the now of being a parent is meaningless. Far from it.

If being a stay-at-home parent is what you have chosen to do, wear that decision with pride. Your child has no idea how lucky (and I do mean lucky) he or she is. And the next time you’re asked what you do, answer that question with pride, as well. If you get a dismissive, “Oh” in response, remember that the answer is more a reflection of the other person than a statement about you. And if you’re so inclined, you might want to mention that if you do what you are doing effectively, you’ll change a generation. The rest of this chapter might not appear to apply directly to you as a stay-at-home parent, but there are important lessons for you nonetheless. And one day, once your child is either in school or in some way less needful of you, there will be the rest of the working world waiting out there for you, whether you join in as a paid employee or in some volunteer capacity. This chapter will help you along those lines as well.

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