Recently, in one of my graduate classes, we were asked to do a paper on which of the following we believe in:

“I work to live” versus “I live to work”

Ideally, I work to live.  The only reason why I work is for me to be able to earn enough to send myself to school and feed my stomach.  However, upon careful evaluation, I learned that working to earn is not the only reason why I am gainfully employed.  I realized that more than to money, I work because of self-fulfillment and self-actualization.   I have learned a lot coming from a university that has groomed me to become if not the best one of the best.

Through years of experience, I have learned a lot.  I have learned a lot from my supervisors.  I guess, I am one of the lucky ones who had supervisors that care so much for their subordinates.  My supervisors have trained me well…my working ethics.  This could be seen on my work output. 

Normally, people would say that ones work output can be affected by other social factors such as your colleagues.  I have to say that for some people this can be true.  On my part, yes it does affect my work output but not because it is by choice but more of by chance. 

Let me expound more on this.  In an organization, division of labor is utilized.  It can be taken that an organization is composed of parts and that these parts are connected in someways.  If one of the parts is not performing well, then the other parts would be affected as well.  Yes, this has happened to me for a lot of times.  My productivity is affected because one of my colleagues is not efficient enough. And yet, I sometimes have to put up with her.  I guess because I am a Filipino.  I have imbibed a trait that could be considered as positive but in some cases it doesn’t help – “pakikisama”.

Recently, I joined a company.  I am a person who is very choosy when it comes to befriending people.  I don’t trust people easily. 

And this time, I am right.  You can’t trust the people that I am currently working with.  I guess, I am just sad because I would want to have a solid relationship with my colleagues in my department. But I know that I can never trust them.  Nevertheless, I would continue to do my work….and be successful someday!