Can we give up the 'right' to be right?

Most people over 30 years of age were told when they were at school – ‘… work hard, get good grades, finish school, go to University or get a trade, get that degree, diploma or certificate and then you can get a job with the Government or a big company and you will be fine for the rest of your life.’

For many people this has turned out to be possibly the worst advice that could have been given. Now I know that this sounds counter-intuitive, so lets peel back the layers. But first a story.

At a social function last year, I was speaking with an old friend and we were talking about careers. We had consumed a few drinks so that old Latin expression “in vino veritas” or ‘when the booze is in, the truth is out’ was working particularly well. Geoff (not his real name) was lamenting the fact that he was a partner in a major law firm. When I asked why he was unhappy, he explained his dilemma. “I am a senior partner in our law firm,” he said “which means that I have huge responsibilities to the firm and must work incredibly long hours. I have the BMW 7 Series, the multi-million dollar house in a leafy suburb, my wife has a Range Rover, our kids attend the most expensive private schools, we have a holiday home on the Coast, we do the season in Europe every year, I make over a million dollars a year net, I never see my children, I have never been so miserable in all my life and I can't stop it!!”

Up until the last part of the sentence, I was feeling a little envious. It took a few seconds to recover, but I was fascinated by the whole situation. Here is a guy I have known since school and to the outside world, he has all the trappings of success, and is absolutely miserable. Now we could all be forgiven for crying crocodile tears for this ‘poor little rich boy’, but I have known Geoff for a long time, he is a good friend and is not usually prone to bouts of self-pity, so I asked him why he was so miserable.

“I never wanted to be a lawyer’ he said “my Dad was a lawyer and his Dad was a lawyer, so it was a natural progression for me to follow in the footsteps. In fact, it was expected and an almost unwritten law in our family.” I had to ask him the obvious question. “What did you want to do instead?” A smile creased his face and he became animated as he explained “I would have done what I have always wanted to do. Have my own art gallery. Then I would have been happily surrounded every day by beautiful creations.”

Geoff is not alone. In fact, he went on to say that the majority of people he mixed with, lawyers, doctors, accountants, dentists and successful trades people not only disliked what they did for a living, they hated it. They were trapped by a system that is only headed in one direction.

The ‘… go to school and get good grades etc’ philosophy seemed to be born in the early thirties when the Great Depression was in full swing. Those who experienced the horror of losing everything were scarred for life and, no doubt, vowed that this would not happen to their children or grandchildren and on. This was the 'right' thing to do and for the majority of people who followed this pathway, it was the 'right' thing for their children and grandchildren to do as well. 

But, is it still the best way? Take for instance a medical student who spends somewhere between 5 to 8 years studying, then hospital duty and more study. Guess what they get to do then? They get to sit in a cubicle no larger than a small bedroom and listen to 40 to 50 people a day tell them how sick they are. Now to some, this is heaven on a stick, but it may also be a slippery slope down the path to self-medication, divorce and eventual suicide. 

Is there an alternative way? The answer is that there are as many different answers as there are people. There are some who will be deliriously happy going to University, trade college and studying. They will embrace the lifestyle and follow the path of their predecessors and cruise through life. But the ‘right’ thing is not necessarily for everyone and we need to recognize this. How are our young people going to handle the Gig economy, entrepreneurship, running their own businesses, creating start-ups and the myriad of other pathways unless we educate them to the possibilities starting in school.

Everything in life is changing rapidly and our education philosophy may still be in the 20th century. Are we prepared to ‘give up the 'right to be right' about ourselves?’

I have been successful and unsuccessful in business for over 36 years, having had 3 retail franchise businesses, 2 start-up IT ventures and a consultancy business. Over the past 20 years, I have taught some people how to create a substantial income by working from home. I still enjoy doing that because I get to help people out of an unhappy situation into a life of passion, fulfilment and freedom. If that sounds like you, why not book a 15-minute call with me over the break https://calendly.com/johngard51