Think back through your childhood: what is the worst job that you've ever had? If you lived on a farm perhaps baling hay, feeding the hogs or cleaning out the horse barn may be one of the worst jobs you've ever had.
When I was in high school I would help farmers bale hay when the alfalfa crop or clover crop was ready to cut and bale. The temperature outside would be about 90° and many times the humidity would be nearly 100%. When I started I probably only weighed 140 pounds. Most of the farmers preferred their hay bales to be approximately 75 pounds, which made it very difficult for a 140-pound young man to lift and stack a bale onto a wagon or into a barn. It was truly a very difficult job for anyone, let alone a small boy.
Later in my teenage years, I had a job at a lumberyard. Shortly after I got my job with the lumberyard, many tornadoes tore their way through the Indiana countryside. It was really sad to see all the devastation caused by these tornadoes. Many people lost their homes and had to rebuild. One small town north of my hometown was nearly wiped out by the tornadoes. No one would wish this type of destruction on anyone, but the timing could not be better for the new lumberyard. What this meant for me was I would be loading and unloading many truckloads of building material to the areas that were struck by these tornadoes. The most difficult part of my job was lifting and carrying countless sheets of drywall. I would go home at night with achy muscles from carrying all the building materials to and from these devastated areas.
Another job I had later in my teenage years was that of a hod carrier. We mixed a type of cement, sand, and water, and would carry it in buckets to the brick layers on the building site. Carrying hod to the brick layers wasn't the worst part of the job. Sometimes I would have to help the cement finishers roll a heavy wheelbarrow of cement down a narrow plank into a basement, so the workers could finish out the cement floor. One time while I worked for the same company, I had to carry liquid plaster up several flights of stairs in 5 gallon buckets. The plaster was so dense and heavy the handles on the buckets would not hold up under the weight.
When I was 19 years old I landed a job at a local pharmaceutical company. The job was a combination of physically-demanding and somewhat mentally-demanding work. The commute to this job was only about 20 minutes each way. Compared to the jobs that I previously held, this job was a piece of cake. The stress level of my new job was low, and the people I worked with were pleasant to be around. The pay was three times more then I was accustomed to making. I believe I would have been content working at this job for the next 35 years. What happened to me six months later changed the course of my life. I was drafted into the Army and after medic training I was sent to Vietnam. You may be able to imagine how stressful and physically demanding being a combat medic was. While I was involved in my fair share of combat, after seven months a new medic took my place and I was given a job in the base camp first aid station. My job consisted of keeping medical records on every soldier in the battalion. This involved a lot of typing, and I hated typing. I had barely squeaked by in my high school typing class, but I did finish with a passing grade. Even though I despised typing long reports, this is exactly what was required of me in the battalion first aid station. Sometimes I would get so stressed out, I would start complaining to my medical platoon leader. His reply to me was always the same, you can grab your rucksack and your M-16 rifle and go back out into the jungle if you want. His reply brought me back to my senses, and I got back behind my typewriter and continued typing the long boring medical forms and reports.
While in Vietnam I think I saw the worst job ever. They say an army travels on its stomach. I think this is true. A well fed army is much more efficient than a starving army. The fact that armies eat a lot, leads to the necessity for one of the worst jobs on earth. What I am leading up to is the fact that someone has got the dubious job of burning fecal matter. This involved pouring diesel fuel into tubs of feces and stirring it with a paddle. The feces was then lit with a match and burned down to a fine ash. Everyone made sure not to get down wind of this operation, the odor was horrendous! The poor soul that got this job was not envied by anyone. The job was often given to someone who had gotten in trouble with military authorities. Sometimes the job was given to those who did not perform their previous job well. Often though, the job was just given at random, because there was no one else to do it. In my mind I was constantly hoping that I would never have to do that job.
Many people have jobs that are not physically demanding at all. However, a large number of people that make a fairly good wage have jobs that are mentally very stressful and difficult. The stress of commuting an hour or more each way to and from home to a mentally stressful job can be very exhausting. After you get to your job location you may have to work with difficult people. Nothing is worse about any job, than having to work with difficult people. This is why thousands of people are searching the web, trying to find a way to escape their current employment situation.
Everyone has a reason for their current situation. Some may feel they do not have many options or lack of education may be a factor. Many other people may have gotten a good education, and maybe doing well financially, but may be frustrated by the demands and the long hours that their job requires. It is usually difficult to find the perfect job. Some may get paid very well, but the very long stressful hours steals the joy from their life. Another problem workers face is low pay. A person with a low paying job may have more spare time, but less money to buy or do the things they want.
It is a matter of pain and reward. The pain, frustration, and aggravation of being trapped in a mentally or physically demanding job must be carefully weighed against the reward of being one's own boss.
Many people never take that first step toward the freedom of owning their own business. I'm not suggesting that's an easy decision. Walking away from a monthly check is often hard to do. I would like to suggest, however, that a person can begin by educating themselves a little at a time.
In today's world, education is King! Most people went to college, became educated in their field, and started a good paying job. To earn money on the Internet, also requires an education. The learning curve for some may be long and for others may be short. Those who were achievers in college, have a good chance of achieving in their own online business.
If you're the type of person that can stay focused and steer clear of all the hype and get-rich-quick schemes, you have a great chance of making it big on the Internet. The education you receive from reputable Internet companies can provide you with the tools necessary to earn an excellent income.
In conclusion, our careers are all about pain and reward. The pain of physically and mentally stressful jobs. The pain of long stressful commutes and many hours away from family. The pain of being underappreciated by your boss. The pain of knowing that you have never reached your full potential.
The reward of owning your own online business means no stress from long commutes or long hours away from the family. No more boss to tell you what to do, when to do it or how to do it. Another reward of being your own boss is taking time off when you want, spending time with your family and doing the things you enjoy. I always tell people if you enjoy what you’re doing, keep on doing it, but if you're ready for a change consider starting your own online business.
