Summer came and summer went, in a blink of an eye. Where did the time go? I really dread going back to work fulltime. In recent years, work has become more like a chore than a career to me, because I have no interest in advancing it. I admit that I am relatively satisfied with my job, however I don’t find much pleasure in it. So I ask myself: Can I do better? Can I imbue my work with more pleasure and meaning?
Bugged by the question, I reread a chapter of the book Happier - Happiness in the Workplace. One thing I learned from this book is that one can craft his or her work to make it more meaningful and pleasurable by introducing some small changes to the routine. So I started thinking about activities that I may be able to incorporate into my daily routine.
Indeed there are a lot of things I could do to make my work more fun as well as help my personal and professional development. Here are a couple of examples:
1. I have done some reading on food and nutrition this summer and done a lot of thinking about healthy eating and living. A balanced and healthy diet should consist of eating a variety of whole plants or plant products, such as fruits and vegetables. I am thinking about incorporating the nutritional aspects of plants into my Botany course to promote healthy eating and living. Doing this, I believe, will help students in my classes relate what they learn to their daily lives and well-being. I may also be about to write and publish an educational paper about it.
2. I am still very much into accent reduction. I will treat every lecture as an opportunity to improve my pronunciation and intonation, and I will not let that opportunity slip by me. I will ask my students and colleagues to critique on my pronunciation and intonation.
There are so many things I can do to make my work more enjoyable and more fulfilling. It is all about attitude. It is my (nobody else’s) responsibility to find pleasure and meaning at my work.
Thanks again, sis!
I really like your essay on Steve Jobs, and I left some comments on your blog earlier.
My house is also “plagued” with books, and I wonder if I will ever find time to read them all. Whenever I felt lazy and bored to practice my pronunciation, I thought of you and others, which really kept me going.
In the last few days, I have spent a lot of time watching Olympic Games and thinking randomly. I guess I am ready to go back to work.
See you around! Bye now, sis. Have a nice day!
That's good about your pronunciation progress! I am very happy to hear that. I didn't do much pronunciation practice this week but did a speech at Toastmasters today.
I bought two more Anna Quindlen's books from the used bookstore, blessings and Every last one. Black and Blue was excellent. She is such a good writer and she is really great at writing family and relationships. But I haven't started reading them yet. I finally finished 50 shades trilogy. Steve Jobs, the book, about which I wrote something last week, just arrived today too, so many books to read. hehe.
laters, Sis.
Thank you! Sis. I recite New Concept English (Book two) everyday, and “bribe” my son to critique on my pronunciation. So far it works pretty well this way.
I am reading “Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake” – a collection of Anna Quindlen’s essays, most of which are about life in her fifties, so I can get a good head start.
How is everything with you? Wish you and your family well! :)