【Description】
Despite gathering a variety of life experiences and opportunities for growth and maturity, many middle-aged people struggle with emotional and existential crises. For example, if they feel that their career status falls short of their dreams, they may feel depressed or jealous of others’ success. Seeing that many of their friends or classmates have already achieved great success, they will feel uneasy and want to work harder to achieve more.
If you can relate to any of the aforementioned, make sure to listen to Grandmaster JinBodhi’s teachings in this video. Follow Grandmaster JinBodhi’s guidance to avert or resolve a midlife crisis and regain your balance.
【Content】
I don’t know what will happen when you hit middle age. Everyone’s fate is different. Imagine having served as a department manager for more than 10 years. You then ask for a promotion, a company car, 2 personal assistants and more subordinates for yourself. This is acceptable; it shows your willingness to improve. However, your requests could be rejected. Maybe your boss thinks you are not quite ready yet.
Because of your huge ego, you feel offended. Being so capable, you think you don’t deserve to be rejected. You think your boss lacks wisdom. I believe this is quite common among all of us, thinking that our boss is stupid, dumb, etc. This doesn’t help your situation, right? When you have such thoughts, how can you work in peace? You start complaining. Why should I work under you? Why should I follow your instructions? Why couldn’t I get promoted? All your grievances would show in your actions. Bad things might happen next.
It might lead to a series of sabotaging and self-harming acts. At worst, you might even commit suicide. When you are 50, you then realize that you are fated to be a loyal employee. After resigning out of ego, you end up jobless for 5 years. Your new jobs are worse than the one you gave up. And then you realize your old boss is the best. Such realization is possible after going through a bad patch.
When we are young, we tend to act recklessly. That is what I call “young blood”. Time makes you realize your fate and how you should live with it. At the age of 50, you sort of realize how ignorant and foolish you used to be. You then learn to be grateful. Working honestly is what you should have done. Keeping your job is more important than getting a pay raise. You think differently when you hit 50 because you have gone through hardships. You can’t be thankful enough when your old boss gives you another chance.
At the age of 50, with a family to support, losing your job is no joke. Lose your job, and you lose everything. Of course, midlife crisis comes but it is actually created out of your ego. This is a manmade crisis out of ego. Your desire needs to match your ability and fate. Don’t create trouble out of nothing. People haven’t experienced hardships. And they tend to forget their responsibilities; once you have lost your job, who will support your family, your parents, kids and wife? Never thought about this, have you? That is irresponsible.
Many so-called midlife crises are manmade. The age of 50 is when you realize how foolish you once were. At 50, the job you could find would be door guard, sweeper, etc. When you realize that, you will cherish your current job. As such, when you are given a job, you will do whatever you are asked. As long as you get paid, nothing else matters. Never feeling content leads to disasters.
There are many stories of generals rebelling against their kings. How could you outsmart a king? On the way to kill the king, the rebellious general heard that his family had already been killed by the king; the general could only commit suicide or wait to be killed by the killer sent by the king. These stories are quite common in history. Say, a general was dissatisfied with his status. Did he have the power and capability to rebel against the king? Did he fear death? Was he determined enough? Who would take care of his family if he died? He needed to think through all of these things. But nobody is obligated to take care of his family.
You take care of your own family, unless you are rich enough to hire someone to do it. You can quit anytime if you are rich. When people have whatever they want without working, they can’t treat work seriously. They think they are too good for their jobs. They work not because they love their jobs.
People think it is their hard work that makes the boss rich. Searching online, you will find many suicides caused by bankruptcy. Don’t just read about how much money has been made and then feel jealous. Jealousy leads to bad things; it is scary. For example, rebellions, like I mentioned. How many lives could you spare if you failed in your rebellion? As an employee, you are jealous of your boss. But how much money do you have? Can you afford being unemployed? If you are not rich, then bow to your fate and work honestly. Don’t rebel against your employers. When you lose your job, you could lose your precious family. Think twice before you act.