My dad is fond of saying that all of the places he consulted for are gone now, either bankrupt, or sold and broken up. The list included (what was) the largest Textile manufacturer in the world, (what was) the largest insurer in the world, and (what was) the largest trucking company in the world.
His attitude? You should work to live, not the other way 'round. Work is a means to an end, that's all, and is rarely a permanent fixture.
IMHO, he's right. IF I dedicated myself to my work, sacrificing my family and everything that's *really* important.... And IF that dedication allows me to rise to the top of the heap in my organization.... And IF my company is still around 50 years from now....
...I might have a conference room named after me at the company's HQ. And, if I was lucky, someone might read my name off a dusty plaque and say "Hmmmmph. Wonder who this "WBill" person was?". But only if they were killing time in between meetings.
Business is transient, by definition. Faith, Family, Community... IMHO, these are the things that are really important.
/rant off. Stepping down from my soapbox.
Yep, I sold computer systems, software, consulting services, leasing and all combinations thereof and worked for 17 different organizations {including two of my own} and most of those companies are not in existence today.
I was always commission driven, never management driven and moved from company to company at my pleasure, not on their schedule.
Times were much different {in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s} and I'm not sure the same choices of opportunity and freedom of movement are available today.
Instead of FDR, Hussein Obama will be glorified as our savior, as we come out of this depression we’re in.
Our dad was a brilliant inventor after WWII and benefited from the wisdom of bootstraps, and hard work to grow his vision of the American dream. I don’t see that same *can do* spirit today. I hope I’m wrong.