When does work ends & your life starts...

These few days there seems to be the constant brought up of this topic - "Australians are lazy..." It started with a friend's lecturer commenting on that statement and what she felt during that time. And Richard brought it up again when he saw a hair salon open till 11pm on a tuesday and reminded himself not to stereotype everyone as not ALL Aussies are lazy...

First, i gotta say... yes i did see my fair share of lazy aussie working attitudes but I have 1st hand encounter really really extremely hardworking Australians. Which brings me to remember this tutorial I had last semester doing this subject call e-business technology. (and yes, my life revolves around uni now... the only life i have & the only life i know! Or at least currently... quite enjoying it thou) Anywayz, we have discussions during these tutorials and there was this time where we got carried away with the boundaries of technologies and someone came up with this idea that possibly, the technology and security can be extended so far to working from home, and one does not require to go to the office! And then the lecturer ask the golden question: "So when does the work ends & your private life begins..." And i've realise a couple lecturers have similar comments this semester and it seems to be a social issue not just in the IT industry nowadays.

This then brings me back to the comment about lazy australians... To me, its really about the social & cultural difference. Some people can comment that aussie close their shops by 5.30 or 6 and in asian countries they are so hardworking as to open till 11pm! However, there are so many children in those countries that hardly gets to spend time with their parents or even have a proper loving family environment. Yes, a lot need to income to support the family... I'm not refering to that thou... Its that Australians do have a CHOICE. The Choice of whether to work their arse off till day turns to night n night to day or they choose to work and put in their best effort at work and then go home and enjoy a great family life with their kids. Yes, standards of living could be higher in aus, and pay margins could possibly be higher & they can afford to... so at least they make use of the opportunity to spend time with family or have a life instead of taking it for granted. It comes down to what a person values more and what they are willing to trade off with.

A lot of people are so engrossed in making money that they lose track of those around them. Yes we need a shelther over our head... yes we want this, we want that... Maybe its time for people to take 1 minute of their busy schedule to think what is it they really want, and what is it that is really important in their life. What they want to remember having done in their life and look back feeling they have made full use of the time they have been given in this life time. Should money be running their lifes for them or they could try to make money work for them. Or its as simple as they are willing to trade off with lesser money but a quality life with the people who are the closest and care for them the most.

Sometimes you can find the poorest people, having the most simple needs, being contented and easier to make happy. And the rich and affluent never finding self peace and happiness. The poor having a stronger family bond and the rich fighting over their child's custody not out of love for the kid but who should be entitled the rights.

Such irony... Yet u see it everyday, everywhere... in every country... every works of life... We cant influence a drastic change in the whole society but we as individual can make a DIFFERENCE as long as one of us understand the logic and practice it... Ultimately, we really should all try to aim to be happy in life...

Smile and you will feel happier already.

God bless y'all~
ZoN