I think that one of the very best things, for me at least, about living and working on an organic farm is that I don't have to commute to get to work. I pretty much get up, get ready and then I walk out the back door and bam! I am at the "office". No backed up traffic or rude drivers to spoil my morning, no timeclock to punch, no stress about being late for work. I can wear whatever I want, take a break anytime I feel the need so I work at my own pace and can concentrate better without distractions like waiting for someone to cover for me just so I can go take a peepee. If I need to go, I can just go. No worries, no complaints.
It is also very freeing to be able to develop and experiment with my own methodology and to come up with creative ways of doing things. Since I know exactly what the end result should be, and with nobody looking over my shoulder, my efforts can be deliberate and meticulous or I can push the envelope into new realms. With my creativity released, I am able to meet an important need...the need to express myself.
The work that I do must meet certain standards. Those standards are high because they are my own and so my failures, when they do come, have to be looked upon as opportunities to learn. Instead of stressing about possible points lost toward my next performance review, I take on those experiences to expand knowledge about both my subject and myself. I am able to learn much more these days than I ever did in any formal learning environment or on the job training and that ever expanding data base is very important to me.
Experience is a great teacher and unfortunately, many people work in situations where their creativity is stiffled and discouraged. Doing a job simply by rote leads to ennui and I believe that is why many people are so susceptible to all of the promises advertisers make about saving time, our comfort, peace of mind, etc.
The struggle to achieve balance is one of Nature's most basic principles. It affects human beings just like anything else. Much of the stress that people endure is brought on by that constand fight to hold onto something that is completely out of balance with the Universe. Learning to let go of things that don't matter and to flow with your surroundings is something that is very hard for most of us.
If your job is a source of unhappiness, stress or discomfort to you, even if you are making big bucks, is it really worth it in the long run? I personally think it is not. I worked in an industry that was about as soul sucking as it comes and now that I am free of it, I have not regretted my decision for a instant, even though I have a fraction of the income I had then.
I have written about this subject before, in a much earlier post, but I will reiterate one more time that if I was able to escape the clutches of the corporate world, you can do it. The hardest part is jumping off your particular cliff and then being ready for where you land. A controlled landing is obviously what you want to shoot for but free falling is okay, too, if that is where your path takes you.
Of course, not everybody is in a position (or are as incredibly lucky as The Farmer and I are) to be able to just chuck their job. BUT, don't sell short the idea that you can make a good living doing something you love.
The struggle to achieve balance is one of Nature's most basic principles. It affects human beings just like anything else. Much of the stress that people endure is brought on by that constand fight to hold onto something that is completely out of balance with the Universe. Learning to let go of things that don't matter and to flow with your surroundings is something that is very hard for most of us.
If your job is a source of unhappiness, stress or discomfort to you, even if you are making big bucks, is it really worth it in the long run? I personally think it is not. I worked in an industry that was about as soul sucking as it comes and now that I am free of it, I have not regretted my decision for a instant, even though I have a fraction of the income I had then.
I have written about this subject before, in a much earlier post, but I will reiterate one more time that if I was able to escape the clutches of the corporate world, you can do it. The hardest part is jumping off your particular cliff and then being ready for where you land. A controlled landing is obviously what you want to shoot for but free falling is okay, too, if that is where your path takes you.
Of course, not everybody is in a position (or are as incredibly lucky as The Farmer and I are) to be able to just chuck their job. BUT, don't sell short the idea that you can make a good living doing something you love.
