Worthy Goals

Podcast Date: November 25, 2006

All Sound Files Available At:

http://www.effortlessenglish.libsyn.com

There I was, trapped in a tiny office, staring at the clock. Time seemed to go at a glacial pace. I turned back to the computer, put my hands on the keyboard, and stared at the screen. I sat like that for hours- doing no work. But if someone walked by my office, it looked like I was working on the computer.

Day after day, I did the same mind numbing routine. It was the most miserable job I ever had-- working for IBM.

Is it possible to make a living in an honest,inspiring, interesting way? Is it possible to have freedom and autonomy in one's work life? Does work have to be boring and degrading?

Last night I watched the movie "Office Space", a comedy about office workers. It was very funny because it was so true. As I watched, I remembered my experiences working for IBM- many years ago. The movie captured the sterility, the numbness, and the pointlessness perfectly.

Sadly, most jobs are like this. Most jobs, in my opinion, are factories of degradation. The workers' spirit and soul are crushed. Over time,people who work in such jobs become empty- depressed, heartless,and boring. Hakim Bey once wrote that "work is the most oppressive force we face, the greatest source of misery in our lives." This has certainly been true for me. I hated my job at IBM. I hated the sterility.I hated the insincerity. I hated the drab offices. I hated the boredom and humiliation.

Since then, I've been on a quest for a better livelihood. I've been searching and searching for a good job- for something I love to do. I found that in teaching English. I love doing it. I love working with the students. They excite and inspire me. I love my time in the classroom.

Being an English teacher is much better than working for IBM, but its still not what I consider a "Right Livelihood". As an employee, I must still follow administrator's rules . I must still use their text-books, even when i think they are terrible. As an employee, there isalways an element of humiliation, always a whiff of command and control.

After many years of searching and thinking, I now believe that self-employment is the only way to have a right livelihood. You simply must be your own boss or you will never be able to live according to your own principles. Truthfully, this is the major reason I launched Effortless English. I was sick of teaching the way other people wanted me to teach, sick of using useless textbooks, and sick of expensive schools that failed their students.

I suddenly realized that I had to take the risk and follow my heart. I had to have the freedom to do what I loved.

Its a little scary when you start to pursue your dream. There are no guarantees. People tell you that you are crazy. The spectre of failure always hangs over you. For the first time in your life you and only you are responsible-- completely responsible.

I once read that a worthy and powerful goal should both terrify and inspire you. If you don't feel both excited and scared, its probably not a worthy goal. I agree. Perhaps you also have big dreams. Maybe you also dream of starting your own business.. or writing a book.. or going on a great adventure.. or asking out a girl or guy... or studying abroad. Perhaps you've hesitated to try because actually pursuing the dream terrifies you. Or maybe the fear of failure scares you.

If so, you should realize that this is good. The fear is good. Your terror is a good sign, it means you have chosen a worthy goal.

My best advice to you is the accept that fear. Accept it, but don't let it stop you. Whatever your dream, be terrified, but don't give up. Be terrified, and then do it.

Because the best antidote to fear- is action.

trapped: stuck; cannot escape;cannot leave

staring: looking at something a long time

at a glacial pace: very very slow

screen: monitor

mind numbing: very boring

routine: an action you do many times; a habit

miserable: very unhappy; very painful and terrible

inspiring: makes you feel excited;makes you want to be better

autonomy: self-reliance;personal freedom and power

degrading: makes you feel weak

comedy: a funny movie

captured: caught; showed

sterility: without beauty, life, or emotion

numbness: no feeling; cannot feel

pointlessness: without a purpose

degradation: weak and powerless feeling

crushed: destroyed; broken into many tiny pieces; pressed until broken

heartless: having no kindness or emotion

oppressive: controlling; something that controls you and makes you weak

face (verb): encounter; meet

misery: pain, sadness, suffering

insincerity: without honesty; dishonesty

drab: ugly; without color

humiliation: embarrassment

quest: a search for something

livelihood: way of making money;way of working

searching for: looking for; trying to find

inspire: create feelings of excitement; make someone want to be a better person.

right livelihood: an honest and good job (or business)

employee: worker (for someone else)

administrators: managers;bureaucrats

element of: kind of; piece of

a whiff of: a little

command: tell other people what to do

self-employment: working for yourself (no boss)

principles: rules for living

launched: started; began (something new)

sick of: tired of; don’t like anymore

useless: without purpose; not useful; not helpful or effective

risk: chance; (possible to fail or succeed)

follow my heart: do what I really want to do; follow my feelings

to pursue: to follow, to try to get

guarantees: promises of certain success

spectre: ghost

hangs over you: follows you; is always there

worthy: good enough; noble; great

goal: a specific thing you plan to do; something you want to accomplish

terrify: scare (a lot)

adventure: an exciting experience

asking out: ask for a date

abroad: outside your country; in another country

hesitated: waited; paused

accept: don’t fight against;acknowledge

give up: quit

antidote: cure; medicine (for poison)