High pay & peace – Is it possible to get both at work?

Aug 10
NabanitaDhar
Mother Teresa once said ‘Work without love is Slavery’. How many of us actually love what we do? How many of us are truly happy and at peace with ourselves when it comes to our jobs? It is surprisingly rare to find someone who is happy with his career plus equally satisfied with life as well. The universal truth is that contentment is missing, whether you are a prince or a pauper! So the question really is what is more important- a highly paying job bereft of any time for life or a mediocre job that leaves us asking for more?

We heave sighs of envy when we see a man all suited up in the back of his luxury car being driven by his chauffeur to work? A great job, paying for all the luxuries one could wish for, must evidently mean a satisfied life, wouldn’t it? But the truth is the more one grows in stature in the work place and the more zeroes get added at the end of the pay cheque; the more hours are in reality taken away from life.

Even a peaceful meal with family becomes difficult for the boss needs to be across everything as he is the one ‘In-charge’! For a married man or woman; family time is important. But with position and standing comes the added need to devote more time to work. So he or she cannot work just eight or nine hours a day and then expect a fat salary at the end of the month. More involvement, humongous responsibilities come along with an increase in bank savings; but the sad part is when it happens there is no time to experience that. If true then where is the peace? There is constant pressure to meet targets and there are thousands of things going on in the mind as life silently slips by! One would think a Bachelor for once could even afford to get completely lost in the fathomless pit of work; notwithstanding the fact being highly debatable! But it doesn’t sound right when one has family waiting at home; don’t you think? Irony is that if it weren’t for family we would have perhaps taken more risks and given up jobs that offer no peace of mind!
The basic necessities of life don’t come cheap; certainly not in this day and age. Everything comes with a price tag of late and that surely isn’t forgiving towards those that cannot afford to pay. So yes a regular paying job might give the needed space and time to live life. But would that quality of life be something that could give us happiness? Doubtful really; considering as human beings we always want more and more!
It all bottles down to the amalgamation of two facts. What is peace for us and where are we ready to draw the line? We can’t have it all; now can we? If peace for a person is spending more and more time with family and being there for each milestone in their lives; then a high paying job is certainly not accommodating to give that! If happiness for an individual is to do what he is passionate about then more often than not a high paying job won’t cut the deal. There are many people who are in good positions in MNCs and are taking away fat salaries home; but when asked if they are satisfied and happy; the unanimous answer is always in the negative.
We are brought up with the psyche that we need to chose a career that pays well and eventually most of us try to do that, but at the cost of passion and joy. Unless of-course money is the only thing that gives us pleasure!
The curious case of the ever elusive satisfaction really! It is a unique equation if truth be told. You need money undoubtedly to live life like you choose to but again that very money comes at the cost of time, love and enthusiasm. The key is to maintain a balance but that doesn’t come easily.
Work Life balance is a never ending pursuit! Stress has become a part and parcel of our lives which increases as responsibilities multiply in the work place. What is the trade off really? It’s also true that anxiety creeps into our lives if our work fails to pay.
It is true when they say there are no free lunches in this world. We can’t expect a hassle free life in terms of finances if we are not willing to sacrifice for work. Perhaps a high paying job is indeed a good job even though it isn’t good enough to devote our entire life to. When we have the hunger to achieve more; we cannot sulk and detest the pursuit.
Confucius had said ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life’. But honestly that hardly happens. A job we love wouldn’t pay for the necessities of life, for us and for our family. A person who is not married or has no family to take care of can even afford to venture out towards uncertainty but eventually when there are lives to take care of salary outweighs everything else. So peace and high-pay never harmonize. Since we can’t have both why not make peace with the high paying job!

22 thoughts on “High pay & peace – Is it possible to get both at work?”

  3. Naba! I object! Even bachelors need Me-time 🙂 Why do you think I quit working early? Being an IIM post-grad, by now I would have been forced to wear those stupid suits and ties, thinking of work 24×7 with a lot of money, may be, but no time to spend it in 🙂 The worst would be being forced to deal with people regardless of whether I liked being with them or not – a luxury I am enjoying to the full now of choosing whom I move with.

  4. Nice post.. Yes indeed it's difficult to balance the work life and family life.. Someone who chooses the right kind of work which he loves to do is indeed lucky.. But not many are that lucky.. I was somehow surprised whitha recent shahrukh interview on Ndtv.. He said he only works and the rest of time he dedicates to the family.. He told his entire daily routine.. And I was so glad that he finds out time for his family each day instead of socialising.. So I guess… Even if one is successful.. If a person prioritises his life then everything can be managed.. So I don't think a big pay and a good family life can be impossible at all..!!!

  5. Nice post. And i agree with your thoughts. It's better to make peace with a high-paying salary. I am a working mother, and i know the kind of things the kids demand nowadays and how can you afford them if only one person is working. Recently read 'Lean in' by Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook CEO, it kind off reinforced my idea that it always nice for women to stick to their careers despite odds. It also lays stress on the fact that women should start sitting at the table and start negotiating for more since they too are putting in their best foot forward and working hard at their jobs.

  7. Well said and well writen…..A Reality of life portrayed in words, just takes a lot for writing this…..I bet u can continue further more…..Keep up th ewriting !!!

  8. Naba .. I agree !! Venturing into things which one is passionate about is only possible when a person is not married again in India even not all are that lucky .. we study for career … thats how we are trained since childhood .. salaries and incomes define our status and position in the society .. and only that ..
    Hence in such a society .. opting for a peaceful life means compromising on monthly earning and hence means staying a little reserve 🙂

  13. Indeed Priya! If we want to balance it, perhaps we can.. wonder if that is easy though..

    Thanks 🙂

  19. Hi. Umm i can see where that came from. I myself muse about the same. But indeed, its difficult to get the best of both worlds if you are involved in a corporate scheme. But if u can choose an alternate career, one which u can lovingly pursue and one which surely would come with its associated risks, then u can still make a life out of you.

    I would giv u two choices. Pick one:

    a. A salary of 70k

    b. A salary of 30k and quality leisure time

  21. Most people go for option A. Thats how the world works today. Kinda sad coz we have objectified ourselves, putting a price on our state of happiness.

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