A Career in the Making

Notes about the self : II

For an early conceptualization of work we go to the Greeks. In their dreams of empires, philosophy and the experience of work, they came to rest on the idea of sport. In time this grew into the experience of the Olympics. It defined achievements and hinted at worldliness, the Gods, careers, leadership in societies and the definition of a true man. We continue to practice this today as the Games of the Olympiad every 4 years.

 

Effectively this has grown to place a special emphasis on careers in our societies. But the process has been a long one.

 

In the inspirations provided by the Bible, pretty much on the same issues, the Book of Kings outlines the life of Kings, lived with their many loves, hunting and sports, leadership and the collective concern for societies. In pointing at this, the book persuaded the folks at the time to forget that the Assyrians continuously threatened them, that the Romans ruled the area etc. so that the readers would simply focus on a role model and work with that.

 

The lessons of the Mahabarata continued to hold sway at this time on issues of self discipline, duty, responsibility and the nature of the soldiering man. In the perception of a world bigger and mightier than any one person, the Mahabarata extolled its reader to stand for his rights and what he perceived as true. ' In victory, the kingdom of the Earth, ' a verse says, ' in death, the kingdom of Heaven.'

 

Today an executive commutes to work, does his 9 - 5 and returns home at the end of the day. A man who wanted very much a career that glorifies his oratorical skills for legal studies, finds training and career as an accountant. It kills everything in him resembling oratory, but he learns business and 10 years later finds that it completes him. He realizes that accountancy taught him business principles and the way the world works.

 

In viewing careers today we do so with an eye for what the Greeks may have meant about the Olympics. That its life itself … surviving it … and doing so with a sporting attitude. And then to share some noble concerns about the society we live in and to do so with a certain natural flair for basic discipline. Oh yes … and learn to balance the books along the way. A career comes with a long history and it occupies our individual attention today for a special reason. That … ought to be curious.