Work Joy

"It's called work, dummy."

"It's not called work for nothing."

These sayings have been passed down through the generations. 

But when I ask my elder clients to look back on their work, there isn't a trace of cynicism. 

Sam shared: "A huge part of my work was cultivating potential, helping people grow. In the 1970s, I promoted the first female to a staff member position in the sciences."

Sara said, "My team was like a family. I had high expectations, but everyone felt supported, trusted and appreciated." 

Nathan put it like this: "I always gave it my all. You shouldn't cut corners. It doesn't matter what job you're in, people depend on you."

Joshua Becker, author of Things that Matter, cites this statistic: 52% of American adults (questioned) said that they would prefer to retire early rather than work in a fulfilling job.

Is this generational?

Very few of the elderpeople I've spoken to were looking to retire early. At the same time, they weren't necessarily looking for fulfillment. It came naturally.

Retirement might seem dreamy, but for my clients it was usually  bittersweet. They saw the good in what they were doing and how they were doing it.

Have you ever asked your parents what they took away from all their years of work?