The Things We Work For

“Para kanino ka bumabangon?” is a very warming tagline by Nescafe that inspired people to share a bit of their personal lives. The question asks listeners to think about what and who inspires them. When I heard it, I was very curious on how such a short sentence can go as deep as it has done to many individuals. I realized that it was because it also reminded people of the things and who they tend to overlook, given today’s fast-paced and grueling world.

Perhaps you are a parent of a hyperactive child that constantly seeks companionship. For the most of us, we see this is perfectly fine, because your child gets to enjoy her own time, and you get your overtime — a win-win situation, right? But being a parent is not about providing the toys your kids want, or allowing them to watch cartoons until the break of dawn. It is not a task that would last from your child’s conception until the day he/she learns how to open the fridge, flush the toilet, and write with a pencil.

Maybe you are an aspiring musician of a certain instrument, a singer of your own otherworldly notes, a guitarist, a drummer, or a flutist. For a lot of people, these are just hobbies that they use to pass their time, but for some, playing their instruments is a passion that extends beyond passing the time — it is a time where they actualize themselves and express whatever feeling they have in the form of music. When was the last time you played an instrument or listened to a new song? Or dug in the box where your old cassette tapes are slowly accumulating cobwebs and sentimental values?

Today, people are either too busy working that they seem to forget about life outside work, or too busy doing nothing that they seem to forget that life requires a bit of hard work.

Ask yourself: Is it really worth it to sacrifice health in exchange for money that you might not even be able to use in the future given that your life expectancy becomes a life certainty at the age of just late 50? Is it really justifiable to think that your personal life should wait until you retire? Should work really be your top priority over your child asking for help for her project? Should you just really accept your self-perceived reality that your life is centered on working?

I’m not saying that you have to stop working. We need money to bring in clothing, shelter, and other things we need or desire. We need savings in order to prepare ourselves for the hospital bills that we might be receiving after our retirement because we fail to take care of our health today. We need to get promoted in order to get more money for us to be able to afford the quality of life we dream of.

Always remember that the reason behind working and earning is to be able to enjoy our lives and provide the needs of our loved ones. When was the last time you checked up on your married life? How is your wife, your husband, or your children? What do they think of you — a companion, a father, a person, or a bank account? Because the first three that I mentioned are those who do not only provide for the family, but also live with them and have a different set of activities that do not involve computing for taxes, creating reports, and dealing with unruly clients. The latter is someone who believes that working hard to balloon his savings is enough of a symbol of being a great person.

You must know how to truly live out your dreams and aspirations. Do not forget to check if you are going in the right direction. Regularly assess if you have the ideal work-life balance. In doing this you must be the one to decide the value of your objectives. As time is limited, it is inevitable that there would be trade-offs. Nevertheless, you must learn where to draw the line between working to live and living to work, because at the end of our lives, what matters the most is the best balance between the quality of our relationship with our family, our contribution to society, and the person we made ourselves to be.

*Originally published by the Manila Bulletin. Manila Bulletin, CC-4, Sunday, December 13, 2015. Written by Ruben Anlacan, Jr. (President, BusinessCoach, Inc.) All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or copied without express written permission of the copyright holders.