“Workforce: the people engaged in or available for work, either in a country or area or in a particular company or industry.”
I hear this word a lot in Romania, workforce, but spoken with diverse intonation, and then in parallel brought into conversation the socially assisted millions of citizens. There is resentment and heavy sighing and resignation in our country’s mentality. A lot could be different. Better. With a steady vision and implementation of it, integrity at the highest levels, transparency, and while it makes us who we are, not ALWAYS looking for shortcuts in every area and aspect of life.
A good sample of work able “socially-assisted” people have responded to interview questions related to their (un)willingness to work. They receive about $75 a month and some food from the state. To work full time (the part-time concept doesn’t exist, unless you own your business, and then you work plenty overtime on occasions) one would get paid an average salary of $300 a month. The jump in income doesn’t compute. To them it’s not worth it and they don’t recognize the long term benefits of being employed. And this is how a quarter of our population (according to the statistics) lives under the poverty line on state aid, but feels no motivation to get up, get up an walk.
Unqualified, untrained, discouraged. To get going one needs help to feel the satisfaction of a day’s work, and how one grows, and how work in itself changes you for the better overtime, feeling useful to the society. My concern is that some people have never tasted that feeling, so it’s rather surreal.
There is one thing I can’t personally embrace: Endless busy work. To do something just to do it, but not with a end-goal in mind. That’s the extreme of the spectrum. It takes courage and ability to stop in introspection, evaluate, make a plan, tackle you own limits and feel alive overcoming physical and mental barriers.
In California I meet people who work hard and play hard. The large majority. Some work part time to take care of family, but work is recognized and rewarded. People have the freedom to be more outspoken, to ask for guidance, for help, for training. Relentlessly. Many don’t take advantage of it. I personally saw the opportunity and felt empowered. And it paid off over time.
There is no pride in being lazy, plus there are so many limitations when being at the mercy of others. At present, while owning or own business, on our long vacation I spent two months working in retail, during the most challenging time of the year: Holiday season. It has given me such great perspective. I met so many hardworking people, driven, humble, smart. Young moms and dads, some with large families, working two jobs (tech and retail, teaching and retail, law and retail), keeping a kind smile and carry themselves with wit and energy.
In Romania I have been asked by more than one person if I will ever get a job. I shall assume positive intent in this curiosity, but …What?! I feel that this question implies that I fall in line the “workforce”. Do busy *scheduled work. Unrecognized, undirected, un-motivating… I think my purpose is to change the world around me, not succumb to it. I wonder sometimes if it’s just me who sees the shortfalls in the different systems, and I see and feel the resistanfce to change, especially in the upper management. “If it’s not completely broken, don’t change it”. And the fear, even in those who see a different way is that “if I swim against the current everyone will bump into me and tell me I’m wrong”.
Cynicism is contagious. Everywhere. Surround yourself with people who help you be a better person. There was a time when I was more easily influenced, ands during that time it was paramount to stick to good company. Today is not as easy to filter it all. We are grown ups and we mingle in the big world. Being aware, recognizing the bad apples, filtering what they say, how they say it. Standing up straight on your path, even when lured into the darker mindsets. Misery loves company. Having integrity and staying inwardly positive is a choice we make daily. It’s not easier for some, it just took practice.