In your life, what would selling out look like?

Yeah, I sold out from 1998–2005 for my old company. I allowed my fear of being broke to run roughshod over me to the point where I thought I HAD TO take a job at a company that might as well have been the home I grew up in, for all the dysfunctional dynamics of the place. I wasn’t doing anywhere near what I wanted to do, I wasn’t growing, or learning how to get along with people or to feel confident in my own abilities or talents, nor was I creating any work that I could be proud of. I was too cowardly to quit, and had to be laid off before I left. I was going to put up with more crap from my boss in the name of “job security.” And to top it all off, my pay there was SHITE compared to the work I was doing. I got better bennies and more money temping, even with the fewer hours I worked (at least until I was laid off last autumn). But that’s another push out of the nest, if I’m going to be honest about it.

Not to say I’m having the easiest time of it, but I see where it’s inevitable that I jump in with what it is I want to do and not worry about the results. Or worry about some non-existent security. If what you’re doing personally, professionally or relationship-wise isn’t lined up with your deepest values, then you have sold out. And that disconnect will permeate and ruin everything.

For me it would be a return to the corporate world that gave me nothing but stress.

People may have different definitions than I do, but in my own personal opinion and based on what selling out is to me… I think everyone has sold out at one time or another in their lifetime.

To me it means doing something other than what your gut feeling/voice in your head tells you to do. Doing something that just, for whatever unexplainable reason… Doesn’t make you feel right.

That said, I’ve done it before and I will probably – unfortunately – do it again. However, as I age, I’m getting much, much better at listening to that little voice.

I guess how I prevent it is to block out external influence as much as I possibly can. I give up logic and trying to analyze, and just let the deepest part of myself feel it out for me. Listening to that part of myself has never done me harm, only good.

Becoming an administrative assistant.

No offense to them, that would just be the easy way out for me. I’m basically an administrative assistant right now at my college job, and I know if I don’t push myself to go for what I want once I graduate, that’s what I would end up doing with my life…and it’s a really depressing thought!

Becoming a principal just to get back at mine :p

A tatooed arse?

For me, selling out would mean taking a job that has nothing to do with the best interests children or humanitarian issues just for a big paycheck. I’m planning on being a poor but excellent teacher. :)

I sell out every work day I when I put on my work shoes and belt. I don’t believe in wearing leather but the post office requires it.

@AstroChuck They actually require genuine leather? I’m anti-leather too, by the way, and I’m surprised it would be a requirement. Not that I think you’re lying.

Working at a job to get rich , rather than working in my more modest paying vocations doing work that I am gifted to do.

For me, selling out isn’t about a job…it’s about who I am. Just about everyone I know either lies to cover his/her ass, cheats on taxes, steals small things from an employer, is gleeful when a rival suffers a setback or any number of other ‘minor’ sins. They are not horrible people, and I don’t judge them for what they do. However, if I were to suddenly decide to act in such a way, I’d never be able to look at myself in the mirror again.

@Likeradar- Letter carriers must wear postal approved leather shoes and a leather belt.

Building tract homes in gated communities.

Selling out would be going against my fuck you attitude. Blowing smoke in your face if your a toy. Not skating somewhere cuz the man said I cant. Not being a capitalist pig. Not being influenced by materialistic shit like homes cars clothes. i just want to live experience and have as much fun as possible because I might not wake up tomorrow/

I don’t really know to be honest. I guess doing something I didn’t believe in or accepting mediocrity in exchange for something I don’t really need or limiting myself.

Right now I am not really worried about preventing it because I’m finishing up college this year then I will have to figure what not being mediocre really means to me. I will find my purpose sooner or later. But in general I see myself running a business, or traveling a lot. Or something like that.

In my life, it was when I worked as a travel agent at a family run agency. These women were all about gossip and just being plain rude. It went against everything that I am about. I’m one of those people that is almost too nice. I like to see the good in everyone and I just can’t get how people can be so mean. Not the best type of person to work in sales. My co-workers would joke about people’s weight, clothes, you name it. I finally had enough when we were selling a group cruise. We had just sold out our group space but could still add people onto the cruise through the cruise company. A lovely couple in their 70s came in to go on this trip. They were celebrating a birthday and hadn’t gone on a trip in years. They also didn’t have a large amount of money to spend. The rate for the two of them through the cruise company was actually cheaper than the group rate, but my boss made me charge the group rate. I just wanted to tell the couple to call the cruise company themselves, but I couldn’t. I sold it to them, got the bonus, but felt terrible. I quit shortly after that.

Why does it have to be selling out? Don’t people change?

I said I would never take a job where I’d have to cover my tattoos, but I did. Not covering my tattoos became less of a priority than stressing myself out over trying to tend to the needs of disadvantaged adolescents within a completely broken system. Sure, I have to wear long sleeves every day, but now Im no longer stressed, and I actually enjoy my job. I don’t think I sold-out. I merely reprioritized.

@tinyfaery – Helping others is a deeper value for you. Doing what’s required to live out that value is not selling out.

@tinyfaery You are no sell out!

Thanks. Anyway, selling-out would imply that I am making money. Not.

unfortunately what I do by going to work daily, not loving it, getting only stress in return for effort… bla bla bla.. need to reach the end of the month though, so…
(just have to try to find peace even where it seems to be a hostile environment for peace to strive…)