Life of Gary

It amazes me how many games you have to play to succeed in corporate America. When it comes down to it, it's amazing how little people actually accomplish compared to what they are capable of. Instead of working towards a goal, everyone seems to have their own agenda. I'm not saying this is wrong since people do have to watch out for themselves. The unfortunate fact of the matter is, all it takes is one or two people having their own agendas. Once that begins, if you don't watch out for yourself, then it's pretty hard to go anywhere. This means that people have to play a role and put on an act with almost everything they do.

I have witnessed some people who basically say, "I am not changing for anyone. If they don't like who I am, then I shouldn't be working with them". I can respect that opinion. It's the opinion of someone who highly values the reality of their outward image. The problem comes in when other values get intertwined. If someone has a strong need for success or money, then they may have to put on that act to move up in the business world. Then there are people like me. I want success and money, but I don't want to lose who I am in the process of getting there. That means that everything I do is a balancing act. I need to weigh how much of myself I can show with it still being okay in the eyes of others. This is the game. I think I'm getting good at it, but it is and will probably always be exhausting.