I just love the 1997 Apple commercial “Here’s to the Crazy Ones.”
I’ve always seen myself as a round peg in a square hole, a misfit, a rebel… and you probably feel that way too, right?
For most of my life I’ve tried to suppress those feelings, be an obedient Boy Scout, and try to fit in, but that just doesn’t work. Now I know, people who go along to get along are part of the problem.
What I am about to say, will make a lot of people angry, but it needs to be said.
Let’s call a spade, a spade.
The business world is dominated by mainly old, white men who want to control you, keep you in fear, and enslave you. They want you to be obedient and fit their mold. Do what you are told, collect your paycheck, put in extra hours, be on call 24/7, and then prostrate yourself before the beast and express your gratitude just to have a job.
An executive told me once, “I like to hire young, ambitious people who have a family and a mortgage. That way I know they can’t afford to leave.”
Reminds me of this:
“How in the hell could a man enjoy being awakened at 6:30 a.m. by an alarm clock, leap out of bed, dress, force-feed, shit, piss, brush teeth and hair, and fight traffic to get to a place where essentially you made lots of money for somebody else and were asked to be grateful for the opportunity to do so?” – Factotum by Charles Bukowski
- It’s a fact that women and minorities earn less money.
- It’s a fact that occupational stress is a major cause of physical and mental health issues.
- It’s a fact that most leaders are bullies, whether they realize it or not.
- It’s a fact that people who don’t fit the mold are sidelined and suppressed in their career.
And I’m sick and tired of it.
- It’s time to smash the glass ceiling.
- It’s time to address the health crisis caused by organizations.
- It’s time to start treating employees like human beings instead of machines.
- It’s time to embrace everyone’s unique talents and just allow them to be themselves.
A minority woman I was talking to this last week told me she thinks it’s worse now than it was in the 1960s.
Depression, suicide, anxiety, and nervous breakdowns are on the rise.
I recently met a man who was a director level human resources professional for a 10,000 person organization, that quit to take a job at a local retail company so he didn’t have to “take the stress of work home with him anymore.” Coincidence that he also lost 20 pounds after two month of quitting and feels better than he has in years? I think not.
It’s time for a peaceful revolution in the workplace.
The fact that you are still reading this means you get it, and are feeling what I’m feeling.
Now you know you aren’t the only one.
I help revolutionary professional and executives smash the glass ceiling without conforming, through mindset practices and conditioning.
You don’t have to change the whole world to have your world change, and you can start learning how to do that when you join the Being Uniquely YOU Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beinguniquely
So here’s to you, being you, and starting the discussion with others who feel like you.
And let’s end today on where I started, since it gives me hope.
I see crazy as genius, “because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
The crazies like you and me can change the world.
Here’s a link to the full video, narrated by Steve Jobs (I like this one the best):
