Analysis of Life Work by Donald Hall - Essay Example

Deepening essay on "life work" My core text is “life work” by Donald Hall. In his book, Hall advises people to work in areas of interest, to enhance happiness. In addition, people should concentrate in developing their social life and ensuring happiness ensues. Hall gives a recount of his life from the time he was employed as a teacher to the time when he decided to concentrate on writing poems and children books. Hall believed that by choosing the right work to embark on boredom and tiredness will be unheard. He advised people to find careers that interest them to enhance comfort and happiness. Hall argues that working in areas of interest will instill happiness and boredom in areas of work will be nonexistence. He argued that production in diverse organizations is normally reduced because the employees are not happy with in their workstations. Therefore, he advises people to find passion in areas of interest to enhance productivity and happiness. In addition, he advises people to build a social life that enhances happiness. Hall uses his life experience to advice people to motivate people to find happiness by working in areas of interest (Hall 348). Some evidence from the core text that support this intriguing idea I uncovered include the life experience of Hall from the time he was working as a teacher to when he became a writer of poems and books. In addition, Hall also gives an illustration of Jane who worked voluntarily in the flower garden. Jane spends hours in the flower garden because in the garden, she found interest and happiness. Even though, she keeps on repeating the work on a daily basis, she does not get bored or tired because she has an interest in the work. After closely reading my core text and reflecting on the argument being made, I find there is an aspect of the argument the writer is not fully considering. The insufficiency is regarding to balancing work with family. In his work, Hall does not speak much of how a family person can balance between work and family. He speaks a little about his mother, and their relationship. Nonetheless, he did not discuss the existence of any bond between him and his mother. In addition, he also failed to discuss if there existence of balance between his work and family. People would want to know how to maintain a balance between family and work. This insufficiency forces me to ask a question in the text, how Hall balanced between his life and work. In addition, since he is advising people to work in areas of interest how did he expect them to balance between work and family. Workaholics known to have difficulty in balancing between family and work. This result, to a number of children not having a strong bond with their parents. Therefore, if Hall had covered the concern of how to balance work and family he could assist a number of people struggling with the issue. My second chosen essay is “the middle way: learning how to balance family and work” by Ellen Gilchrist. Gilchrist discusses in detail how she managed to balance between work and family. She found happiness in her children and grandchildren (Spoonley 656). In addition, through her writing work she was also able to find happiness and earn a living through the writing. Before she became a writer, it had been difficult for her to balance between work and family. She knew without putting her children on the forefront a bond could be nonexistence. Therefore, to ensure a satisfactory relationship ensued between her and the children she established a relationship that made her happy to old age. In addition, through her writing work she was able to mingle with people of different backgrounds. This also strengthens the value of happiness in her life. Therefore, she advises people through her writing that balancing between family and work is an essential step and should be practiced by everyone. My second chosen essay contains an idea that responds directly to the question I am asking of the core text. The idea is a balance between work and family. Gilchrist discusses how she was able to balance her working life with her family and the happiness that developed, as a result. To her old age, she is happy of her achievements and the bonding she had with her family (Clee & Violeta 7). She was glad that she had children and grandchildren that made her life happy. When she was not spending time with her family she was working and meeting people through her writing career. Gilchrist gives a recount of how she balances between family and work. She recounts that part of her time, she spends on the gulf coast near her family, and she tries to participate in their lives. Since she does not fear, to air her opinions she looks for problems and needs within her children and assist them to meet the needs without them asking for assistance. When she was not spending time with her family she was spending time in Ozark mountains writing books and spending time with other writers, artists, photographers, professors and politicians (657). Now that, I have put these two texts in conversation, a new thought comes to mind. The thought involves how workaholics can be assisted to balance between their busy schedule of work and family. People who are involved more in their careers forget they have family and as a result, they end up neglecting them. This result, to some form of tension in those families and the children experience a difficult time growing as they try to connect with their workaholic parents. Ellen Goodman is the author of my third chosen essay “the company man”. Goodman gives a story about a man who was a workaholic and worked his heart out to ensure the company was performing at its best. His workaholic self makes him forget about maintains a healthy life and bond with his family. He spends most of the time in the office even on weekends. He eats junk food, and this makes him obese. Nonetheless, this does not put him down. In his life, only his work mattered. He dies at 51 because of heart attack, and this does not come to a surprise to his family members because of his workaholic behavior (Spoonley 629). The new essay corresponds with my new thought that has developed with regard to my core essay about assisting a workaholic individual to find a balance between work and family. In addition, the man in the third essay was not happy because he did not practice and form of a social life. He did not build a good relationship with his family, and he lived unhealthy life. The core text did not put into consideration the idea of how to assist people who loved their job rather than their family. When I consider the third essay with the core essay, another new thought comes to mind, as a result. The thought is the significance of family and health with regard to work. Any person required to live a healthy life and bond with his family. Living unhealthy may result to a number of diseases that may take a person’s life at a tender age. Therefore, it is crucial, to balance between a healthy life and establishing a relationship with family members to enhance happiness. When I re-consider my core text in light of what I have learnt from the second and the third text, I have a new sense of the initial idea that intrigued me. This new idea serves as a thoughtful response to the question I was asking of the core text. I am offering the writer an extension of his or her idea because I have spotted a problem in the original idea. The second and the third texts have helped me figure out how to address this flaw and reevaluate the core essay is idea. The new idea is finding a balance between life and family. In addition, to advocating to live a healthy life to enhance happiness. Happiness should be the main concern of many people and could be achieved through balancing between work and family. Hall discussed finding an interest in areas of work. According to him, this would enhance happiness. Nonetheless, he failed to incorporate the issue of working in areas of interest and family. It is therefore, crucial to find a balance between work and family and living a healthy life. A balance between work, family and life should be the main concern of every individual to enhance happiness. A piece of real world evidence that seems to encapsulate the idea I am reckoning with and the new idea that is developing is the president of the United States barrack Obama. Obama has found a way in which he balances his work life and his family. A strong bond seen between him and his family. In addition, he seems to enjoy his work as a president because he found a way to mingle with Americans. He has a distinct bond with his family and the Americans. He lives a healthy life and the balance between family and work is not difficult for him (Obama 34). References Clee, Paul, and Violeta Radu-Clee. American Dreams: Readings for Writers. Mountain View, Calif: Mayfield Pub, 2009. Print. Gilchrist, Ellen. The Writing Life. Jackson: University press of Mississippi, 2005. Print. Grint, Keith. The Sociology of Work: Introduction. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2005. Print. Hall, Donald. Life Work. Boston: Beacon Press, 2003. Print. Obama, Barack. Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. S.l.: Text Pub, 2008. Print. Spoonley, Paul. Work and Working in Twenty-First Century New Zealand. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press. 2008. Print. Read More