Poll Reveals 70% of Americans Hate Their Jobs – The Other 30% Are Liars

We've all heard the tired cliche, "Do what makes you happy".  If that were a possibility I'd be sipping a frosty beverage in the sand somewhere right now.  No.  We do what we HAVE to do, and there's nothing wrong with that.  To me, to do "what makes you happy" is just the easy way out.  This is the first (maybe 2nd or 3rd) generation to have the luxury of having such thoughts.  If our grandparents had done what they wanted to do instead of sacrificing for something more than just themselves, they wouldn't be called "the greatest generation", they'd be part of the First Reich of Germerica.  We're very thankful they thought that about their country above their own self interests.

Life is now about consumption.  We consume too much food, too much TV, too much internet, too much of everything except radio  (you should definitely ramp that up).  Just 60 years ago most Americans would never have had the luxury of thinking about the job they WANT.  It was all about providing for your family by whatever means necessary.  If you were lucky you'd get a family vacation once a year that provided some excitement.

Life has become a permanent vacation for many in my generation (Gen-X if you're keeping track).  This permanent vacation may not mean literally sitting on the couch all day eating junk food (although that's the case for many sucking off the fruits of our labor thanks to the government).  It's more about the mindset of a permanent vacation.  From customer service over the phone, to cashiers, and even the Wal-Mart greeter, we've become a generation concerned so much about ourselves there's nothing left to offer others.

This new Gallup poll that found 70% of Americans hate their jobs is a clear indicator of our mentality.  I have a great job.  When I was a kid, if you had told me I was going to be running two radio stations and have my very own radio show on two different stations I would have been thrilled.  Even so, there are days I think to myself, "I hate my job".  I don't allow myself to feel sorry for myself for very long.  I see the hard work I'm putting in today as a step closer to my ultimate goal, which is to provide my children the brightest future possible while leaving my mark on the world by leaving this place better than when I arrived.  Simple goals.

Sure I'd love a big house, a nice car & a vacation home on the beach, but it's about more than me.  It's about the people that depend on me day in & day out.  Not just family, but also my job & my friends get my best.  People have put their trust in me in one way or another, and I feel it's my responsibility to give 100%.  You can't be at your best if you're constantly feeling sorry for yourself & thinking about how much you hate your job.

I know some people have truly horrible job situations, and I don't want to just cast those feelings aside.  God knows I've been there with the horrible boss, back-stabbing co-workers & little hope.  I'm just ultimately a "glass half-full" guy, I guess.  I'm not going to let the misery that may have been my job situation at the time to carry over into the hours of the day not belonging to my employer.  It's tough sometimes, but if you lie to yourself long enough, you may eventually believe it.

I'm not even going to throw out the "Let's make this America's NEXT great generation by going back to the values we once lived with" in the hopes of seeing us get back to the "others first" mentality.  It's too late.  I see it in the actions of my own kids every single day with, "but it's not mine" being their favorite phrase when asked to pick something up.  There's no more lending your neighbor a hand.  It now looks like Halloween when you run out of candy every time a neighbor needs a cup of sugar... turning out the lights and hiding out of view hoping they'll just go away.