Have We Been Programmed to Think We Have to Work?

From an early age, we’ve been programmed to think that our value is tied to our productivity, but true worth comes from who we are, not just what we do.

For years I stayed in a career I didn’t enjoy.

I believed that I would be a failure if I quit. I would watch others quit and think, they just couldn’t hack it, which to me at the time, was a negative thing.

I used to look for parts of the job I did enjoy so I could make it bearable. I would plan my future within that career, the ultimate goal being to expand my business, recruit and eventually not have to work as hard.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t a bad plan. The problem was, I was unhappy, even if I told myself I wasn’t.

I would plan and look forward to holidays but feel so miserable on the day of returning to work.

I absolutely know you can relate to that.

But, work hard, play harder right?

WRONG!

We have been programmed to think we have to chase success and materialism when in reality, that’s absolute madness.

Related Post – The Search for Your Authentic Self: Life Within the Illusion

How We Are Programmed to Think That Work Defines Our Worth

Think about your conditioning growing up.

As a young child, you will have been asked numerous times “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Doctors, Pilots, Police Officers and Teachers were probably common answers for a lot of you.

Not because you actually wanted that, but because you knew it’s what the adults wanted to hear.

And what would be so bad about saving lives or flying aeroplanes? These roles were glamourised.

You’d be respected, you’d have money and security. What parent wouldn’t want that for you?

Does it matter that you’d regularly work yourself to the point of burnout? That you’d have to put in years of thankless effort. Or that you’d regularly miss out on your family’s lives and events due to work being your first commitment?

And you’d have to do all of this while managing the stress and anxiety that comes with it.

When we do eventually make it into the workplace, it may not be as one of the roles listed above, but whatever it is, we will be told to work hard in order to progress.

Career progression is the ultimate goal. More money, more responsibility.

If you are unable to progress, look for other opportunities that offer that progression.

All through working life, we are programmed to think success and wealth is the ultimate goal.

Those out of work are judged harshly. Even parents on maternity\parternity leave are constantly asked about their return to work plans.

Someone told me a story recently; it went something like this.

There was a man who launched his small dingy off the beach to go fishing every morning. He would catch two fish and then come back to the beach.

He would share one fish with his family, they would cook and eat it on the beach. He would give the other fish to friends in the village.

One day, a man came along and suggested he spend longer out at sea each day to catch more fish. He could come back and sell them. The longer he fished, the more he would catch, and the more money he could make.

Before long, he’d be able to buy a bigger boat for overnight fishing trips. He could hire more fishermen, and grow his fleet of boats.

All of this would set him up nicely for retirement where he wouldn’t have to work any more.

The man asked him what he would do when he retired.

To which he replied “I’d sit on the beach and eat fish with my family”

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” — Jiddu Krishnamurti

The Impact of Being Programmed to Think Productivity Equals Success

The impact is entrapment through fear.

Think about it, what is stopping you from breaking free right now? It will be fear.

Fear of not being able to keep a roof over your head.

Fear of what other people will say/think.

Fear of an unknown/unplanned future.

This fear will be resolute in most people because of our conditioning. We can’t even allow ourselves to consider other possibilities.

But maybe you can. You’re reading this for a reason, are you ready to consider other possibilities?

Are you challenging how you have been programmed to think?

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.” — Stephen Hawking

Related Post – Spiritual Awakening: What To Do When ‘Life’ Gets in the Way

Why is Fear Such a Powerful Motivator?

This is more of a rhetorical question. I want you to recognise the fear that is keeping you trapped.

Take a moment to ponder this. You may have to dig deep.

For me, it was fear of what others would think. What society would think?

All of the excuses, of what else would I do? I need to earn money to keep a roof over my head.

The underlying fear that kept my thinking so limited was that I would lose my ‘standing’ in society.

When I did eventually quit my career, I lost many so-called friends over it.

There is no doubt that I needed a thick skin, most people didn’t (and still don’t) understand why I would “throw it all away”.

That was the hardest thing I had to face.

But once I did, it was like a curtain had been lifted, my blinkers had been removed. I could see more potential than I ever thought possible.

I broke free of the programming and fear; you can too.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle

Related Post – Can You Think Yourself Happy?

Rewiring the Mind and Breaking Free

The first step is simply to recognise the way in which you have been programmed to think.

Recognising it is even more powerful than challenging it in the first stages. True knowledge is everything.

Challenging the way in which you have been programmed to think will happen automatically as soon as you start to recognise it.

Facing your fear is the next step.

Shine a light on it, consider where it comes from.

Understanding your fear will help you face it, and move to overcome it. By facing it with your new way of thinking, you may see how ridiculous it is; that your programmed thinking created the fear, and that it doesn’t actually exist.

Start to implement changes

If you have done the first two steps, this one will start to happen naturally.

You cannot stay trapped with an enlightened viewpoint.

You’ll go within and notice who you really are. What you’re called to do, even if this isn’t a career.

Don’t think in a materialistic way, search inside for the genuine joy within you.

Don’t worry that you don’t have a plan yet, or that you don’t know what you want. It won’t be long before the universe presents you with opportunities and shows you your potential.

Final Thoughts

Do you know what? I’ve really enjoyed writing this article. I can feel an excited energy that I’m trying to get down on this page. I want to send you that energy.

I want to help you recognise the power within you. I want to help you break free of everything you have been programmed to think.

If you enjoyed this article, stick around and check out a few of my others. If you subscribe, I’ll send you a monthly round-up of new posts.