Saturday, August 2, 2008

Golden Handcuffs

Why is it that everyone is paralyzed at the thought of quiting their jobs and doing what they feel want and or dream about doing to earn a living. It seems that everyone does some type of work that they began doing by happenstance. They gave their life occupation no more thought then what can they do to earn the most money at that moment. Then they wake up and realize that they have spent 40 - 50 hours per week for 5 - 10 - 15- 20 or more years doing something they could care less about. They did the work just because the money was good or the job has good benefits. Then they find themselves at a point in their lives were they can't quit the job they hate because the money supports a lifestyle they and their family have become accustomed to living. This is how they end up in Golden Handcuffs with no apparent way out of this day to day routine until their life is over and they pray for the day of retirement.

Golden Handcuffs are when your current income level would be reduced by taking another occupation with entry level pay and you would have to drastically alter you current living conditions for this change.

You make enough money to support your current lifestyle and if you quit or changed occupations than the short term money loss would force your current living standards to change. This fear of change keeps you bound to your current job. So, you can't change jobs, start a new occupation, or new business due to sudden short term monetary factors. LOSS OR REDUCTION OF INCOME!


Where does the Golden Handcuffs get its strength to bind and paralyze the captive:


  • Weekly Paycheck - High enough that change downward would be painful

  • Home Mortgage - Must be paid every month or lose home

  • Car loans - Must be paid every month or lose car

  • Eating Out - Makes you feel special, being served

  • Leisure Activities - Takes your mind off the dread of another long work week ahead

  • Changes to Lifestyle - Fear Paralyzes

It could be any thing that your pay check supports. But, I would say that the strongest and most influencing part of the list above is just the fear of the unknown.

I'm sure when people think about changing jobs and or careers the Devil fills their minds with the following thoughts and fears:

  • If it doesn't work out I'll lose everything, my house, my stuff in my house, etc.

  • If it doesn't work out people will think I'm a failure

  • We will have to move and my kids will have to be displaced from their friends

  • Wife tells you to keep working and not fill your head with fanciful thoughts

  • Your Mother, Father Brother, Sister, etc. tells you that the economy is too risky right now and it is better to have any job that pays steady and is stable

The reasons could be anything, the point is that everyone is scared to death of change. Change is the unknown, the untried, the area of our life where we have never been.

The only way people make changes in their lives is when the pain is greater than the fear of chnage. I would guess the pain never becomes greater than their fears and people don't change jobs and or career paths.

But I tell you that the risk involved with your job is greater than most people realize. Your job could change in a moment, see an partial list of possible items that could change your life:

  • Fired

  • Corporate Downsizing

  • Company Buy-out

  • Corporate Bankruptcy

  • Lay offs

It could be any thing of which are not under your control, this to me is scary. The thought of my life changing in an instance due to other peoples decisions and actions and through no control of my own.

So, what do we do, stay where the we know what the pain is of our current occupation where we can tolerate the pain until we have a slow death. Or do we risk the known for the possibility of the unknown and make a change to see if the new life is the life of our dreams. That is the question and that is the key to unlocking the Golden Handcuffs.

Posted by at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling

Search The Bible for your Answers!

Lookup a word or passage in the Bible



BibleGateway.com
Include this form on your page

The Armor of God - Ephesians 6:10-18

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.