You know, it seems the longer I write these posts, the worse things get. I don’t want to be a downer, but seriously, the cost of living and unemployment rates continue to climb, our day-to-day activities are riddled with enschitification, and more and more of the real connection and bonding that keeps us sane is being replaced by AI slop. And now we are also at war. Meanwhile, those of us who have managed to hang on to a job have become slaves to corporate machines hell bent on taking every last resource and leaving destruction in their wake.
I am still living with your ghost
Lonely and dreaming of the west coast
I don’t wanna be your downtime
I don’t wanna be your stupid game
When will we say enough is enough? When will be step away from this obviously broken system and build something new, something better, something that allows us all to thrive?
With my big black boots and an old suitcase
I do believe I’ll find myself a new place
I don’t wanna be the bad guy
I don’t wanna do your sleepwalk dance anymore
I just wanna see some palm trees
I will try and shake away this disease
There are so many alternatives for us if we would just open our eyes to them. In my Career Nirvana program I share stories of people who have done it – a software developer turned trash collector, a tech salesman turned dockmaster, a marketing specialist turned kettle corn entrepreneur, a senior product leader turned flooring franchise owner, a technical writer turned celebrant, and more.
We can live beside the ocean
Leave the fire behind
Swim out past the breakers
Watch the world die
We can live beside the ocean
Leave the fire behind
Swim out past the breakers
Watch the world die
These might not sound like your dream job, but maybe that’s because we’ve spent too many years dreaming about the wrong things. What do we really want after all? Fancy cars and corner offices? Or real connection with our neighbors, time to pursue our passions, the energy to actually raise our kids (not just keep them alive), and a sense of purpose and pride in the way we contribute to our communities?
I am still dreaming of your face
Hungry and hollow for all the things you took away
I don’t wanna be your good time
I don’t wanna be your fall-back crutch anymore
It’s time to rip the band aid off, to walk away from the system we’ve always known, but that has not served us for quite some time now.
Walk right up into a brand new day
Insane and rising in my own weird way
I don’t wanna be the bad guy
I don’t wanna do your sleepwalk dance anymore
There is so much more out there for us. A healthy balance of work and leisure, family and fun, community and individual is right there, just waiting for us to find the courage to get out there and claim it.
I just wanna feel some sunshine
I just wanna find some place to be alone
It’s time. Past time, actually. Our jobs are literally killing us. Will you swim out past the breakers or stay and watch the world die?
A little inspiration: https://youtu.be/MW6E_TNgCsY?si=t29z-z8NdQ5jlvtP
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