Dwaine,
I'm not sure if this is what you are going to want to hear, but I read your long post, so I've got to at least get some respect for that, right?
I've had jobs as you are describing. In my opinion, they are never worth the stress they put on our lives.
You have certain goals for retirement and lifestyle, and I get that. But it is never wise to put off having DAILY joy in one's life for some "best laid plan" that may never materialize.
That's not to say that we shouldn't save for retirement and make sacrifices now so that we might have something to draw from in the future, but not at the cost of living a victorious, blessed life today, every day.
You've been stressed and sick. Obviously your back injury is work related. As an RN who did worker's comp case management for a couple of years, I will tell you that you are not unusual. Many folks who injure their backs on the job have a difficult time returning to work. Do you know what the most important factor is for successful re-integration of an employee back to work after an injury? Job satisfaction before the injury.
So chances are, if you weren't happy at your job before you hurt your back, you are going to find it rather difficult to continue working there. Not impossible, but certainly not without some major mental overhaul on your part. You're going to have to make up your mind that you love your job, and that it is worth all of the cr-ap you are going through. Which means being MORE than a model employee.
Otherwise, the situation will only be tense, both for you AND your employer, which isn't going to make your back any better. When we are stressed, we hold ourselves differently, our body mechanics are thrown off, and we set ourselves up for more injury and pain.
Is there something you love to do? Something that makes your heart burn within you? Are there dreams you have yet to pursue, loves you haven't fulfilled? Even if you can't quit your job right now, you may still be able to move toward doing that which will ultimately set you free. If it is the one thing that stirs your passions, whether it be painting, or writing poetry, working with children, or singing, you will always be able to find strength, time and energy for it.
I'm just giving you food for thought. Yes, you have bfs and on top of it, you have some lower back issues, (I have to agree with the doctor who was against surgery, btw...it is really best to avoid that if you can,) and on top of all that, your job s-ucks.
But, my friend, this is YOUR life. You only get to do this once. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people enslaved to the 9-5, 3-11 or 11-7 jail sentences, only to finally get released on parole and either become desperately debilitated or drop dead. There is no guarantee that you will even make it to retirement. We all hope for the best, but we also need to grab hold of what we have TODAY.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick. You don't need a heart condition on top of everything else!
Just think about it. You can make excuses, kvetch and complain, wring your hands and feel hopeless, or you can kick yourself in the ass and choose a more excellent way of living. It really is up to you.
Blessings,
Sue
I'm not sure if this is what you are going to want to hear, but I read your long post, so I've got to at least get some respect for that, right?
I've had jobs as you are describing. In my opinion, they are never worth the stress they put on our lives.
You have certain goals for retirement and lifestyle, and I get that. But it is never wise to put off having DAILY joy in one's life for some "best laid plan" that may never materialize.
That's not to say that we shouldn't save for retirement and make sacrifices now so that we might have something to draw from in the future, but not at the cost of living a victorious, blessed life today, every day.
You've been stressed and sick. Obviously your back injury is work related. As an RN who did worker's comp case management for a couple of years, I will tell you that you are not unusual. Many folks who injure their backs on the job have a difficult time returning to work. Do you know what the most important factor is for successful re-integration of an employee back to work after an injury? Job satisfaction before the injury.
So chances are, if you weren't happy at your job before you hurt your back, you are going to find it rather difficult to continue working there. Not impossible, but certainly not without some major mental overhaul on your part. You're going to have to make up your mind that you love your job, and that it is worth all of the cr-ap you are going through. Which means being MORE than a model employee.
Otherwise, the situation will only be tense, both for you AND your employer, which isn't going to make your back any better. When we are stressed, we hold ourselves differently, our body mechanics are thrown off, and we set ourselves up for more injury and pain.
Is there something you love to do? Something that makes your heart burn within you? Are there dreams you have yet to pursue, loves you haven't fulfilled? Even if you can't quit your job right now, you may still be able to move toward doing that which will ultimately set you free. If it is the one thing that stirs your passions, whether it be painting, or writing poetry, working with children, or singing, you will always be able to find strength, time and energy for it.
I'm just giving you food for thought. Yes, you have bfs and on top of it, you have some lower back issues, (I have to agree with the doctor who was against surgery, btw...it is really best to avoid that if you can,) and on top of all that, your job s-ucks.
But, my friend, this is YOUR life. You only get to do this once. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people enslaved to the 9-5, 3-11 or 11-7 jail sentences, only to finally get released on parole and either become desperately debilitated or drop dead. There is no guarantee that you will even make it to retirement. We all hope for the best, but we also need to grab hold of what we have TODAY.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick. You don't need a heart condition on top of everything else!
Just think about it. You can make excuses, kvetch and complain, wring your hands and feel hopeless, or you can kick yourself in the ass and choose a more excellent way of living. It really is up to you.
Blessings,
Sue
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