AnGeL steered my thoughts to my former colleague.
After he got the axe for molesting a young girl, I attended a seminar at Kumamoto University where I had the brief honor to talk with the President of the university.
My workload was like, doubled because I have to take over his duties and attend the committees he attended.
Nevertheless I was (am) not complaining.
In fact, I am thrilled whenever the university asks me to do stuff.
It shows that they have faith in me.
The Kumamoto University President immediately said, they is a saying in old Japan...
'The reward of work is work' (仕事の報酬は仕事).
Dracolshian mentioned about the 2-in-1 principle...
‘While others pay for their hobbies, people pay for ours.’
In my first 8 teaching years, interacting with and assisting foreign students and Japanese students was my hobby.
After I took up my present position two years ago, my hobby and my occupation merged to become the 2-in-1 principle.
I once read a book on personal finance.
In the section on 'starting a small business', it asks...
'Are you happy with your present job?'
To get an idea of the answer, it challenges the reader to answer one question.
‘Would you do what you are doing now, even if you are not paid?’
If you answer with a pretty strong yes, you are close to being happy with what you are doing now.
In my case, hmmm... maybe 70 to 80%?
Would like to say 90 or 100% but I am afraid my missus may kick my butt for bringing too thin a paycheck home...
Gardening, photography, food, fishing, traveling, scuba diving, life in Japan, plus of course, news and views of being away from home...
Haha. thanks for the mentioning. I like the Japanese saying of 'The reward of work is work' very much. Am glad that i chose my future career to be a 2-in-1 job.
ReplyDeleteinitially, my mum disagree. She felt that an occupation is a thing, and hobby is another thing. She hoped I'd take up the usual professions like doctors, engineers, lecturers. Most of all, she wants me graduate from Uni as a science-field degree holder and treat Arts as juz a side-job/hobby.
Man, if I wasn't a stubborn donkey back then, I'd have got pulled into the wrong direction and later, develop regrets. Haha. Am so thankful my mum understands in the end.
Unrealistic and naive it may seem, for me, passion overpowers salary matters. And now, with the 2-in-1 principle, the future looks brighter. =D (Sorry if my long comment sounded like crap. Hehe)
dracolshian... Always a pleasure to receive your feedback. Good that your mum relented, otherwise she may find her daughter nagging her for many years to come(?). If you read my post on 'Doctors...', my dad wanted me to become a doctor, my mum did not want me to become a pilot, my first uncle wanted me to be a police officer so as to whack all those bad guys, and after my phd, my sis wanted me to become a politician... aarrrgghh!
ReplyDeleteIf enjoy what you are doing (some hobbies) and making money out of it then it's a bonus.
ReplyDeleteYou said it, man...
ReplyDeleteerm..yeah, I read ur earlier posts. But now tht u've mentioned, I juz remembered tht my dad dreams of becoming a pilot too! Unfortunately, they say he's too short (?!) and he didn't get a taste at his dream job.
ReplyDeleteIf you are the natural self that you are, you use your abilities (to work) out of joy (be happy). When you use your abilities out of responsibility (to be paid only) you distort them.
ReplyDeleteYou help because you think you should, not because it is a joyful part of your being. And you begin to question, "Who needs my help most?
Can you imagine the sun thinking, "Who needs my help most? Should I send forth my rays upon this flower, or that one? Which flower needs my help the most?” or the rain saying, "Which blade of grass should I bless with myself?"
dracolshian... your dad too short? what a pity!
ReplyDeletemultidimid... thanks for dropping by... I even go for natural yoghurt too...