I've never really understood what it is that makes work so incredibly addictive to some people. I've never spent a day at work and thought at 5 p.m., "I just don't want to leave!" Over the last few months I've had the displeasure of meeting real life workaholics, and I must say, it's not the aspect of ones character that you really want to see. Until a few weeks ago I had a boss that I just couldn't stand working for. (Hmm...that's not a very original thought.) Anyway, I was always pretty convinced that my boss was obsessed with his work. He was always there before me, even on the days when I would come in early. He was also always there after I left, sometimes for several hours. He has a wife and no children, but he had his work. I say "had" because, well, he snapped in the middle of a board meeting and was fired.
At that point, it all made perfect sense to me. Until all of this happened I never understood why someone would work so hard for so long. Here is what I realized. He grew up always working hard, being intensely driven the way that young men tend to be. He went through Jr. High, High School and then through college. He had received accolades and success at a rapid level. He worked so hard that he managed to forget what really makes this life worth living. People.
It never ceases to amaze me how deep we can bury ourselves with possessions and activities. It's not because we are really too busy. It's because we make sure that we're too busy, even if we're busy watching television...alone. We can ride on our activities and success for a good portion of life, usually just long enough to lose everything. The only thing that can sustain life in this world...is life. Time invested in others is where life and success really begin; it's also where it ends.
I realized that life is far too precious to be serious about all the time. To push yourself constantly for the sake of success or even just being antisocial is suicide in itself. So please, find love and friendship, and hold them dear, because when the worst parts of you begin to take hold, it is humanity that will save you.
