One of the constant things in life, apart from changes, are challenges. This is because, life was not designed to be easy. The struggles that we experience in our everyday lives are part of the journey of our development as individuals. Every individual living in this world is a peculiar being. The problems and trials that each of us are facing, appear in various forms. The problem of some may appear less than what others experience, but this does not mean that life is easier for them. It is always possible that different people experience the same degree of problems, but just in different forms. Some people may be experiencing struggles financially, and some may experience health struggles in an equal degree. However, even though the struggles that we are experiencing seem to be endless, we must acknowledge that are still relatively many pleasant things that are happening in our lives. We still have a lot of opportunities for achieving our goals. We still have a lot of chances at success. There are still many reasons to be happy and to smile. There are still many people who are willing to lend a hand in times of struggles, and these are some things that we need to be thankful for. However, realistically speaking, it cannot be denied that financial wealth is the lifeblood of the world. Technically speaking, nowadays, nothing from the basic necessities of people can be obtained free. Even clean and fresh air sometimes needs to be bought, like in the case of China. This just says, that the need for money is an inevitable element for the survival of humans. Though people may still obtain some necessities like food without the need for money, there would be some point in their lives that would require to obtain some. With this being said, the best and most appropriate way for people to earn money is by working. The main reason why people study for years, find a job, put up a business, let themselves get tired, and spend some sleepless nights, is basically to earn money to support the needs of their families. People who are less fortunate than others, often need to double their efforts in order to provide for their families. Some would need to work two or even three jobs at the same time just so they could earn enough money to sustain their needs. They face huge amounts of stress every day, in the thoughts of where they could find the money. This may cause bigger problems because stress could actually lead to more serious health problems, and can then expose people to greater risks and danger. The more fortunate ones, on the other hand, may not need to work at all since there are other people that work for them and provide them their needs. Looking at these circumstances, it is indeed appropriate to say that life is quite unfair, and will always be unfair.
I have had so many remarkable experiences in life for the past years. It all began when we moved to New York City. I was working full time back then, which means that somehow, managed to provide enough money to sustain me and my child. Everything was doing well during the first few months, but things changed when I became sick because of my thyroid. Though I was not feeling very well, I had to keep on working for my child. This gave me frustrations and stress, which then made it harder for me to keep up with the daily routine at work. I had to keep up with this for quite a long time. In between those times, I still struggled with many other different things, but as a mother, I had to learn to get used to the stress and the struggles because I needed to keep going for my child. I experience financial, health, and emotional struggles during the past years and up until now. Fortunately, my mind and body had slowly become stronger and tougher in facing these obstacles, after all of the experiences I had.
Though I have experienced many awful things that sometimes made me lose hope, I was fortunately able to gather my thoughts and transform these seemingly dark parts of life into something that shed light to my deeming purpose in life. There are many ways by which people can turn challenges and trials into something that would instead boost their morale and decide to do better. During the times that I experienced financial struggles, I was almost in brink of breaking down, but then I realized, if I continue to let the stress and frustrations consume me, I will become inefficient at work and I might get laid off. If that happens, it’s not only me who will suffer, but my child especially. I converted my struggles and my child as my motivation to strive harder and overcome the stress and frustrations. I learned to become calmer and composed in dealing with stress. I did not let get the best of me, nor did I let it hinder me to perform better as an employee, as a person, and of course, as a mother.
Hierarchy is a natural thing in the workplace. The mere existence of employees and “bosses” are the major manifestation of hierarchies. The “bosses” are the ones who hold all the power in the work place. Their decisions and choices are the ones that matter. Most companies keep a very clear boundary between the employees and the employers. For instance, in one of the jobs that I’ve had, the power relations in the workplace are very autocratic. Meaning, the only opinion that matters, is the opinion of the employer. The employees are basically like robots who are just programmed to obey everything, all the rules set forth by the employer. This kind of workplace environment is very toxic for the employees, for they are not given any venue to express their thoughts and ideals that may actually be of help for the company’s betterment. The concerns of the employees are not entertained, even though these are actually serious concerns. This is what made me quit that job. Not being able to air or vent out your concerns and opinion is a very frustrating and toxic place to be in. This is a form of oppression in the basic right of the employees to freedom of expression. However, not all companies are like this. There are still some companies who are taking good care of their employees. Companies who are able to establish good relationships with their employees, while also being able to maintain professionalism in the workplace, are the best places to work in. By treating the employees with proper care and respect, they would be more motivated to perform better at work, because they feel that their work is appreciated and valued. In contrast, employees who feel disregarded and muted by their employers often do not perform their best at work, because they feel that they would not be credited for their work anyways. Employees who are exposed in these kinds of workplaces are the ones who are more prone to experience stress, and illnesses, when in fact all they wanted, or their main purpose of working is to provide for their families.
When I became sick with my thyroid, this marked the beginning of all the struggles that I experienced. There were many times when I struggled so much financially. I did not enjoy what I was doing anymore, but I had to keep up with the work and endure because I didn’t want my child to experience hunger. Though the government has some public service programs like the food stamp to reinforce citizens, I didn’t want to rely on that. The food stamp program in the country is still somewhat problematic. They employ a certain income bracketing method in order to determine who are eligible for being granted the food stamps. This scheme is problematic since there are many citizens out there who are employed, but their salaries are still not sufficient in order for them to provide healthy meals for their families. Also, the worth of the food stamps is also relatively small, and insufficient to sustain a week’s supply of food. Because of this, people who are supported by food stamps often resort to buying cheaper food products like sardines, other canned goods, and instant noodles, which actually pose a serious threat to the health of individuals who consume them too much.
These events and struggles are a constant part of every person’s life. People can’t avoid these hardships for they are inevitable. However, there are many ways that could help people get through life’s hurdles, and these are called therapeutic practices. Some of the examples discussed in class are meditating, running, and caring for others. These experiences and deeds help enrich my life because it allows me to “breathe some fresh air”. Meaning, it helps me relieve all of the stress that I am experiencing in my life. Such activities, like caring for others, helped me realize that I should be thankful for what I have now, because some people are having it worse. It gives me a sense of hope and contentment in life, that though I am experiencing trials and difficulties, I am still actually blessed with more than what I deserve. By engaging in these kinds of activities, I am able to find more meaning in life. By witnessing how others live theirs, I also begin to know and realize that though life throws challenges at me, there are still more reasons to be thankful in life.
Now that we are living in a very fast-paced world, everybody seems to be in a hurry, and everybody seems to always be pre-occupied with all the things that they need to accomplish, whether it is at work, in school, or at home, people seem to become less acquainted with others. Because of the developments in technology, communication has been very accessible and convenient for people. Unlike before, you can now reach and communicate with people from the other side of the planet in just a matter of seconds. This is really a big breakthrough in the field of communication. However, this has also caused harm in the way people relate to each other. Nowadays, it is a common scenario for people to know each other on social media, yet not talk to each other in person. This is the divide that the digital age has caused on our people. The term “busy” has now become equally said as the word “hello” (Kreider 1). Because of the busyness of people on everything that they need to accomplish, they start to forget that they too, need to rest and break away from all the busyness. By breaking away, I mean to really interact and engage in meaningful discourse with people, and not just interact virtually. People can end becoming a culture of perpetual busyness easily now. The most difficult way for the people of today is to “Disconnect to Connect”. People need to realize that sometimes, they need to disconnect from their virtual world in order to see, appreciate, and be happier with the real life. After all, it is in this real, chaotic, and wonderful life that we will get to experience true sadness and happiness.
Works Cited
Kreider, Tim. "The "Busy" Trap." The New York Times. 3 June 2012. Web. 25 May 2016.
