ReferencesAcosta 1Lorraine AcostaILS209015 September 2019Visions of WorkAfter getting through all of this week’s readings, I found that most of the concepts werepretty similar to my own views on work. From the time we’re small children, it is drilled into ourminds that we’re meant for labor. It’s subtle and innocent yet incredibly powerful: “What do youwant to be when you grow up? (Punching In)” From a very young age, we are put into a systemthat would later aid us in the ultimate goal: finding a good job. It is a seed that is planted in ouryoung, soft minds before we can even understand what’s being asked. Our profession dictateswho we are and how we fit in this world. It’s said to be our identity. Genesis 2:15 highlights thatGod specifically put Adam in the Garden of Eden to work and maintain it. My views on this aredifferent, perhaps because I am not religious. This is saying that the humankind was created towork; that it is our purpose in life, our main duty. While it is true that what we do shapes ouridentity, conclusively, it is a survival game. From an evolutionist point of view, our primateancestors evolved to adapt to their surroundings in order to not only survive but also to thrive. Asbillions of years have passed and as technology has evolved, so have our adaptation needs:shelter, health, transport, education, profession, etc. Instead of developing the skills to cookmeat, like our ancestors did over two million years ago (Wrangham, 2009), we now must beskilled in other things to survive, like going to medical school to become a doctor or having atleast a high school diploma to bag groceries at your local supermarket. Different times, samegoal: Survival.Acosta 2I don’t think there is a specific answer to the question, “What is the purpose of life?” ButI can almost guarantee you that “working” is not it. Now, I’m not saying that our sole purpose inlife is to hunt to stay alive and teach our offspring to do the same (even though it feels like thatsometimes); what I am saying is that it isn’t about what we do for a living, but why we do it.Some want to be rich, some want to be famous, some want to give back, some love what they do,and others absolutely hate even the thought of it. One thing that all of these different types ofindividuals have in common is that they all want a better, more comfortable, more abundant lifeto provide for themselves and their loved ones. The profession we choose has an incredibleimpact on society’s “homeostasis,” if you will; a balanced number of doctors, police officers,lawyers, etc., that make communities communities. How we feel about what we do and thereason we do it directly affects just how well that job gets done. I’m a strong believer that if youreally don’t enjoy doing something or working somewhere, just don’t even do it at all or findsomewhere else to work because the consequences can be catastrophic, with the potential tocripple entire industries, like the health industry, for instance. Can you imagine you’re about tohave brain surgery and overhear your surgeon vent to a nurse, “Can’t wait to get out of here.Ugh! I’m sick of this job. Anyway, let me chop this guy’s brain real quick so I can go home.”Something as small as a bad attitude can hinder one’s ability to perform at optimal levels(Swanson, 2014). Once you get a good amount of these Debbie-downers together, feeding eachother’s negativity, in enough clinics and hospitals and you got yourself a whole lot ofmalpractice, injuries, and even deaths. We must be very careful with the professional paths wechoose to walk, and it should not be taken lightly. Someone’s life might depend on it.Acosta 3References"Genesis 2:15." The Bible. n.d.Introductory Thouoghts: Punching In. n.d. https://spark.adobe.com/page/UxfakVeHHAdbW/.Swanson, Ashleigh. Locktown Affinity. 18 February 2014. https://locktonmedicalliabilityinsurance.com/positive-attitude-in-healthcare/. 15 September 2019.Wrangham, Richard. Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human. Profile Books, 2009.