Comments on: Review: I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This

By: Georgia

Georgia — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:11:15 +0000

I have never had a job or a living situation that I hated. I am lazy and prefer not to suffer. So, whenever I moved or got another job, I just started looking for the good in it. I have only had one horses patoot of a boss and he was 40 miles away and there were others between us to help me out. If that is positive thinking, I will take it. I am 71 y/o and I have worked as a babysitter, home heath aide, in a shoe factory, as a waitress, for insurance companies, ran an S&L, and worked for the fed 2 years(two different jobs) and the state for 20 years (in a mental institution for the criminally insane.) A friend tells me I just can’t keep a job. HA!! Does positive thinking work or am I just lucky?

By: Square Peg working towards Square Hole Happiness

Square Peg working towards Square Hole Happiness — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:43:05 +0000

@ Carrie
Glad to see I’m not alone in questioning the “just change your attitude/mind/perspective” mantra. It can be a valuable, empowering tool when appropriately applied. However, appropriate application is not presenting it as “THE” tool for making square pegs enjoy being forced into round holes. That smacks of brainwashing &/or callus disregard for others situations wrapped up in socially acceptable packaging.

By: Todd A

Todd A — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:07:59 +0000

I’ve been living #9 for 3 to 4 years now. ‘Nuff said, except, as a Christian, the soul comment is a bit of a stretch for me !

By: mk

mk — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:14:04 +0000

Trent,
I will be starting my new career next week. And I’m excited that this would make my career path to the full circle. Through many career changes, you will know more about your self, our value and your inner voice. And your perspective and expectation defined. I figured that either work for myself to what I enjoy doing, or find the corporate that share the philosophy you will be happy to be a part of would work for me. I found one that perfectly fit my definition this time.

By: Izabelle

Izabelle — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:49:04 +0000

The same author has a brilliant book titled You Want Me to Work with Who?.

The tactics in there can help you make a pretty toxic work environment all the more enjoyable.

@Carrie: I am afraid Clint is right. My take on it: if it is my choice to be happy, and happiness is indeed a matter of attitude, then sometimes that attitude may take shape in the courage and optimism to quit a toxic situation. It is still up to me. And so far, it works.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:06:30 +0000

@clint:

Question: if being happy is a matter of attitude (#5), then shouldn’t people be able to make anything work (#6) by simply changing their attitude? Common sense tells me that there are some careers and tasks that don’t fit who we are, yet according to the positive-thinking gurus, we should be able to overcome that with enough effort. That advice has never sat right with me, by the way, because it overlooks the fact that we are all born with different personalities and aptitudes, and our life choices should respect that. It’s certainly better than trying to shove a square peg into a round hole.

By: Shanel Yang

Shanel Yang — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:39:09 +0000

It truly sucks to be stuck in a job/career you hate or are even just not that thrilled about — which is what the “All About You!” is all about: a step-by-step guide to the deep soul-searching necessary to point yourself in the right direction. All most of us need to know are the answers to these 3 questions:

1. Who are you?
2. What do you want?
3. How do you get there from here?

This series walks you through brief self-reflection exercises to help you answer these questions so you can go after your life purpose with full gusto. Here’s the link: http://shanelyang.com/2008/07/18/all-about-you/

Good luck, Everyone! ; )

By: Big Winner

Big Winner — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:02:02 +0000

The title for this book is pure genius. I wish there were consistent ways to reduce the negativity & work life balance problems that the author mentions in the first chapter. Bob Sutton’s books and “CEO of Me” do a good job, as well as the Gallup organization’s 12 questions book.

By: Daizy

Daizy — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:35:33 +0000

This book definitely describes my current situation. I am already doing some of the suggestions like paying off debt and saving as much as possible in preparation for a big change.

Change is scary but the thought of staying at my current job for the next 30 years is even more horrifying.

By: clint

clint — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:21:11 +0000

Trent,

I lived in a job that I did not like and with a boss that was a jerk for a long time. It took a really bad had choice to make the change. Now I build web sites and live off my passive income because I am debt free. But there was several years of “hardships” in between. The hardships were things like not going out to eat so we could pay more on our house loan, and having small Christmas and Birthday parties so that we could save money and pay off our student debt. Leaving my broken job was the best thing I ever did. I wish that I would have done it sooner, but I learned a lot in the prosses.

1. Things are only “scarry” before you do them.
2. Nothing is unchangeable. you could just go back if you needed to.
3. Life is what you make out of it…don’t make a pile of crap out of it make a wonderful cake.

4. love life now…no matter what you are going through. Love it and be happy now.

5. you are just about as happy as you want to be. So be happy.

6. if something is not working Stop doing it. Don’t keep doing something just because you have always done it.

7. Do what you love and the money will follow.

Deep thoughts form

Clint Lawton

http://www.a-debt-free-life.com