The thought came when I was having lunch with my colleague discussing professional and personal responsibilities. As a Leader, his shoulders sagged and his face stooped as we were discussing the never ending professional responsibilities. We then changed our topic to the upcoming holidays. His body language changed, his eyes lit up with energy and his grin gave me a refreshing boost. He explained that his days and nights were going to be longer with a team of 30 plus starting from 4:30 AM to past midnight for the next 15 to 20 days. They are decorating 50 plus acres with Christmas lights and decorations inviting thousands on a daily basis. Apart from ensuring the lights are functional he is responsible for food and safety. He will be on his toes for 10 to 12 hours constantly cheering and ensuring that the guests have enough to eat and enjoy the events safely. His energy level was so infectious that it prompted me to join this voluntary team and get a taste of his experience.
On my way back from lunch I was thinking, at work he is paid six figures with a luxurious office space and only 8 to 10 hours of soft to mild physical labor, which gave my friend a sore experience as if he was getting depressed every day. On the other hand, the voluntary experience of no-pay and hard physical labor brought LIFE to him. WHY? I was perplexed.
The next day we had lunch with couple more senior leaders and I decided to ask my question anonymously. After an intense discussion i,t was clear to all of us neither the pay nor the luxurious office are what we are looking for deep inside. Intense satisfaction comes from the quest to quench our thirst of living, this is the key driving force. And how does that thirst manifest. Different people have different gifts and some have developed them and some have not. This was the original intent of a department called Human Resources to ensure each human can rise up to the self-actualization of Maslow’s Hierarchy.
Unfortunately with the burning need to run a family and feed hungry stomachs, humans have forgotten their purpose of creation. They were stuck physically and then mentally in the first level of security. They were then victimized by society, culture, esteem, social profile and so on to build their portfolio with cars, houses, private schools, clothing’s etc. forgetting their internal quest. Some are exceptions and struggled while few found the fortune. The exceptions were recognized only after their time in this planet had passed. Today for many, even though they have the means to climb up the Maslow’s Hierarchy, they are still mentally stuck in lower levels.
Ladies and gentlemen, this was the story till Generation X. Generation Y has not seen the hungry stomachs, neither have they cared for a social portfolio. They are after truly quenching their thirst. The experience of my friend volunteering and feeling his human value exceeded the value of a six figure package at work. After working three hard months in building a sleep lab into a world class facility and in return when my friend received a $50 gift card, he had the guts to resign on the spot and became a multi-millionaire businessman.
So is this the time for us to come together to understand each other’s strengths and leveraging them to maximize LIFE for each other. This might even be a new model for Generation Y and Z. Many efforts in auctioning jobs are growing steadily indicating the demand of earning residual income. With the perceived value of retirement expectations and employee benefits degrades many will question the hourly wage of their earnings versus the impact on the time and health of each job category. How can we combine both so that every human can thrive with the accomplishments and yet be paid to enjoy the material world?
Liking my article is the periphery that you can do. But more importantly does this resonate with your experience? I would start with a simple question…
If you resonate with this discussion share your thoughts for a hybrid system meeting both ends?