NINE TO FIVE, DEAD OR ALIVE... I don't know, man.

Bonjour, mes amis. 

It is currently almost 11:00am and your friendly, neighborhood pal is here again to entertain you with whatever "thought tea" she has brewed. 

Yay, humanity! (Honestly, just go along with this. That way, it'll be over, much quicker.)

Today's beverage of choice is the necessary but oh-so-sucky world of JOBS. No, not Steve Jobs, although, most people say we share a striking resemblance. You know, other than the fact that I'm a black woman with little to no working knowledge of modern technology. But I digress...

Now, it's no secret that our generation is muy different from those that came before us, which is good. Great, even! It's quite evident in everything we do, in relation to thoughts on serious stuff like the state of the economy, leadership,  climate change, relationships, childbearing, to shockingly embarrassing things like, again, the state of the economy, leadership and specific TikTok trends.

Milk Crate Challenge, anyone? Natural selection at its freaking best. 

It is also seen in how we view and pursue jobs... Careers, in general. 

Back in the day, people wanted to work solely for the benefits they received in exchange; A reasonable salary, Christmas bonuses and, maybe, health and dental insurance... The unholy trifecta needed to sustain a family. It didn't matter if you liked what you did, so long as it paid the bills. Nowadays, it's a bit different. 

Don't get me wrong. The money is still a huge factor in the equation, however, recent studies show that most people have gone beyond just needing a source of income.

There's now a desire to earn a living from doing something one actually enjoys doing and our generation is NOT letting up! The older folks are not quite as understanding, and to a certain point, I get it. Where's the logic in turning down a reasonable stable-paying  job in exchange for something so volatile that there's literally no assurance anything positive would come out of it?

"Vicki, peace of mind will not pay your bills."

I know. Believe me.  

Is there a limit, though? For you, I mean. 

Is there a particular level on your pain tolerance chart where you say, "enough is enough" and bid goodbye to the corporate big guys choking you or are you a masochist? 

A/N: That was not intended as a sex joke. 

If you know me, personally, you'd know that I rarely complain... 

I know, I know... I laughed, too. I do, in fact, complain a lot. For someone in her early twenties, I've had one too many downward spirals, but I promise this isn't one of them. 

I just realised that somewhere in between seemingly endless monthly briefs and meetings, Tuesdays blended into Wednesdays and Sundays into Mondays, and I'm still no closer to feeling like my efforts matter, than I did, the very first day I set my feet in corporate Nigeria and I can't help but wonder if the path I'm on is a huge mistake. 

My bestfriend, Julz, is recently chartered (let's all take a moment to holler, in respect.) and her parents expect her to get a job, pronto. Reasonable, yeah? After all, they did pay her fees through school. 

Juliet, however, dreams of owning her own shoe company, and she really does have an eye for designs. The idea that she'd put a pause on exploring her field of study to learn shoemaking might sound a bit ridiculous to them but she is insistent on not being stuck at a nine to five job, unlike some people I know.

Yes, It's a self diss.

Currently, baby girl is working hard to learn and, simultaneously, build her brand and she's not letting anyone stop her. 

That, right there, is what I want. That passion, drive and desire for something that isn't Kizz Daniel. 

In summary, it takes a lot of heart to go after what you want, daunting limitations, not withstanding. 

Here's a question for you; Do you think you could ever leave a relatively stable job that you tolerate, at best, in order to begin one that you love but has little to no insurance? 

I mean, before today, it would have been unthinkable, for me. Now, I'm a little sold on the idea. 

It's a beautiful night, we're looking for something dumb to do. Hey, baby, I think I wanna quit my job... Or whatever Bruno Mars said. 

 With love and an abundant supply of fuel,

- Vicki 💖💖💖