“Take care of YOU;
Because if you died today, your job would be posted online before your obituary.”
-Dwayne Johnson
You Need To Take Care Of You.
This MUST be a priority.
We all know what Corporate America is, right?
It’s a bunch of stolid white guys in gray suits either trying to be serious or trying to be funny.
They’re successful at neither, and they have soft hands to go along with their khaki pants.
Yuck.
The last time I worked in Corporate America, I swore I was never going back.
And yet, once again, I’m working in Corporate America. Although, this time I’m working remotely and “from home,” so it’s way more tolerable.
The same old truths are still present, though.
Corporate America literally hemorrhages money.
Every single corporation.
None are excluded.
Absolutely none.
There are so many unnecessary people, filling unnecessary jobs.
These people produce nothing, and make a full-time job out of justifying why their job is somehow relevant, stressing you out even more.
This is why it’s so important that you TAKE CARE OF YOU!
Those people are there to collect a paycheck, while they produce diddly squat, resolve zero issues and contribute nothing more than filling a vacant seat.
I’m astounded by the financial waste.
Furthermore, I’m always amazed at the gray suits, scratching their heads, trying to understand how and why the corporation is still hemorrhaging money.
They hire Lean Six Sigma professionals to turn their waste around and stop the hemorrhaging.
Nothing happens, except that they’ve added a six-figure salary to their overhead expenses.
(Again, YOU need to TAKE CARE OF YOU!)
More head scratching, as money continues to fly out the window.
What’s even more perplexing still is how every single corporation will throw $10,000 out of the driver’s side window, to bring in a dime through the passenger’s side window.
And this “process” is celebrated, while the total loss is ignored and quietly written off.
This saying is often attributed to Einstein, although he didn’t coin the phrase, but he often said it:
“The definition of insanity is repeating the same action and expecting different results.”
IMPORTANT: YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF YOU!
Hey! Corporate America! Did you discuss that in your last meeting, which was held to schedule the next meeting, to further discuss what wasn’t resolved at the previous meeting?
You should probably set another meeting, just to be on the safe side.
Don’t even get me started on Corporate America’s “middle management” tier. I’ll probably have an aneurysm.
Another reason why it’s critical that you TAKE CARE OF YOU!
Working men and women built this country, plain and simple.
That’s not to say that we don’t need professionals. We absolutely do.
This is just my two cents, but I think we could probably eliminate 90% of middle management in this country and never skip a beat.
Again, that’s just my two cents.
The working men and women of this country actually build, produce and keep the country moving forward.
The plumbers, steel workers, bricklayers, pipefitters, roofers, electricians, police officers…the list goes on and on.
But they’re often thought as “menial labor,” and looked down upon, from those lofty, corner offices occupied by the men in the gray suits.
(You, taking care of you, is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family.)
I’ll let you in on a little secret.
Those men in the lofty, corporate corner offices are terrified that everyone else will find out that they’re neither needed or wanted, to keep the country moving.
I’m not talking about the CEOs who have built companies and still run them.
God Bless The American Entrepreneur!
Certainly, I’m not referring to the CFOs or COOs of companies whose work is critical in keeping their respective companies profitable, and thereby, keeping folks employed.
This rant certainly isn’t about doctors or attorneys or architects or engineers…
In fact, let me make this much more simple.
If your work actually contributes to your company’s success (or your community), then this post doesn’t pertain to you.
And you know if you’re milking the clock and doing the bare minimum, while firing off 300 emails a day, with God and everyone else copied on each of those emails.
You know who you are.
How do you sleep at night?
In a zombie apocalypse, I promise you, you’ll be the first ones to die. No one needs a useless body, when food supplies are running low, and the zombies are toppling the fence.
After all, there won’t be any endless meetings to attend or pointless emails to fire off.
Just saying…
Besides, what could you possibly contribute in a zombie apocalypse, if you already make a living from “acting” like you’re busy?
All of this ranting is MY vehement reiteration of the crucial fact that you need to take care of you.
Perhaps you gleaned that from my subtle messages embedded within this post?
Good.
We get caught up in these corporate jobs that pay peanuts and will work you into an early grave, if you let them continue to pile on the work.
Because Corporate America will post your job online for a replacement, before your obituary hits the digital newspaper.
Sad, but true fact, my friends.
This is why I continue to point out that you need to TAKE CARE OF YOU.
These jobs are stressful, and for what?
So the asshat in the lofty corner office gets his $600,000 BONUS this year?
Fuck that.
I’d rather have a colonoscopy with a fire hose (Holy blazes!) than worry whether or not a millionaire in Corporate America becomes even more wealthy.
Corporate America loves to layoff the workers and keep the overpaid managers who do next to nothing.
Get into the habit of making taking care of you a priority.
Rather than stress over when the next layoff is coming, or how much additional work they’re piling onto you, because you’re one of the few people who actually work, find several ways to take care of you.
10 Easy Ways To Reduce The Stress And Take Better Care Of Yourself:
- Go for a walk, jog, or a this-rabid-dog-is-going-to-kill-me-if-it-catches-me, full-speed run — or a bike ride. MOVE!
- Get fresh air and some sort of cardio exercise, and often.
- Eat well. How long has it been since you’ve eaten fruit and vegetables on a regular basis?
- Drink a ton of water — the more the better.
- Find a hobby that keeps your butt off of the sofa, and the TV off.
- Adopt a pet and spend at least two hours each day with them — walking, training and playing.
- Talk it out. Either with your spouse, your friends, your family, your therapist. Get it out of your system. Once it’s “out,” leave it out there, and walk away from it. Tomorrow is another day.
- Cook for yourself. It’s healthier and a great way to spend time together at the end of the day, if you have a significant other. Single? That’s cool. Now, you’ve got leftovers for lunch tomorrow — no drive-thru heart attack in a sack for you.
- Can’t carry a tune but love to rock out in your car? (I’m guilty!) Go for a drive, rock out and sing at the top of your lungs. I highly recommend dirt roads or open highways for this.
- Get lost in a good book. Reading just 10 pages — or 15-20 minutes — a day has been proven to reduce stress, aid in sleep and lower your chances of a heart attack.
You’ve got to take care of you, because Corporate America sure as hell isn’t going to do it.
By the way, the plumbers, engineers, bricklayers, police officers, electricians, seamstress, cooks, carpenters and EMS personnel are all going to be absolute ROCKSTARS, if there’s a zombie apocalypse. (Zombies can’t get through brick walls — everyone knows this.)
Not the men in the suits.
More tomorrow
-A