A matter of motivation

It's pretty much accepted that money is not the chief motivator when it comes to our working lives. It plays a part to a point, but for the majority of us, there has to be more to our job than the pay packet at the end of the week or month or whenever.

Whether you're one of those who truly enjoy what you do or you see your employment as solely a means to an end, the real motivation to keep going generally comes from somewhere other than the 'dirty cash'.

This is missing enjoyment ... (From http://www.securens.in)

It could be that you feel what you do gives you meaning, that quest to find fulfilment, or other life factors — doing it for your children, the ability to travel, a stepping stone to something greater, etc. — give you the push to keep at it.

Pays the bills

From a personal perspective, if it was just about the loot, I'd kick The Colombia Cast podcast to touch, not to mention this blog, and be much less bothered about IQuiz. The podcast is, for now anyway and like this blog always has been, purely a labour of love while IQuiz is more or less in the same boat.

"Keep the head down and drink the free coffees."

The new (can I still call it new after four months?) and time-consuming full-time job more than pays the bills. This is not to say it's really well-paid, it's just my overheads are not that high. Another plus point for the "barrio popular". That and the fact I've now less free time to actually enjoy my salary.

This is where the money plays a role. It's not that it motivates per se, it's more a case that in the absence of other sources of steady income, it fills a hole.

Yet, as mentioned before, the mentality of offering your services to third parties, parties that you don't have any direct dealings with and don't always agree with their message, is something I find hard to fathom.

I've been used to work, be it as an independent or with others, where I've been, or at least felt, intrinsically involved in the output. In this current gig, that's much less the case. That feeling of not really being involved doesn't tend to leave one disposed to give their all.

Underworked, overpaid?

Now, it would be a whole lot worse — a resigning matter really — if my position was very taxing. It's not. This isn’t to say it’s a case of being underworked and overpaid. The downtimes allow me to concentrate on my personal projects.

"It's our show, so play that goddamn tune, piper!"

What's more, when the hardest part of your working day amounts to not much more than making sure you arrive on time, it's not a bad state of affairs. Well, that and biting my lip sometimes when advertising copy I write is changed by non-native English speakers to something I feel is inferior. "The client is always right, even when they're wrong." "Then why bother asking for my input in the first place?" "Just play the goddamn tune, piper!"

A moment's breath usually sees me right. It's not my brand or company I'm doing it for after all. Let it go.

So, you might ask, if that's the height of my grievances, why make an issue out of it? Keep the head down, drink your free coffees, take your monthly pay and repeat.

Satisfaction, that's what's at play. Having that feeling that our talents are being used in the most appropriate way. Doing what we should be doing, or at least what we think we should be doing. It's what we all strive for, isn't it?

People might say, and have said, "Sure you'll never be happy." That's the thing. This pursuit of happiness is what keeps us all going.

It's not that we're fundamentally unhappy, not at all. It's that there's always another level to reach. That's where the motivation lies.
___________________________
Facebook: Wrong Way Corrigan - The Blog & IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz".

Returning to a life more ordinary

It's safe to assume that most foreigners, especially those from the West, who come to Colombia on a whim don't arrive with the expectation to make money here. That is to say, those who come not having work already lined up with a decent paying school/university, NGO, big multinational or the like.

It's generally more a case of being here on an adventure. 'A see what happens' approach while making the most of this beautiful country and largely friendly people.

Time for a change of direction?

Indeed, many sacrifice a more financially stable existence to 'give things a lash' in countries not quite as 'developed' as their homelands. Some come with a cash cushion, making things much more manageable. First World savings can go a long way in these parts.

Others, and we're pretty much in this boat, don't exactly have wads of a strong foreign currency to fall back on. It's more a case of 'where there's a will, there's a way' in order to find the resources to keep the adventure alive. That 'way', more often than not, is freelance teaching. It provides a somewhat steady income while also giving the freedom to explore the country when one wishes.

Then, as time passes, a root takes hold. What initially might have been planned as just a relatively brief stay turns into years. It becomes difficult to leave. Of course, for some there are strong, solid reasons for that; a long-term relationship, an improved employment situation, a child.

For others, and again this is where we're at, it's simply a question of time itself. There's no long-term relationship (none at all, actually), no improvement in earnings, no child (thankfully). We're here because we've become used to it. (There is also the small incentive of being only months away from being able to apply for a five-year residency.)

We could, perhaps even should seek out new pastures but we've become comfortable with the status quo, with mediocrity if you will. Returning to the ridiculously expensive Western world without any guarantees of finding decent, fulfilling work just seems madness.

Moving to another 'developing' country, starting from scratch again, seems more hassle than it's worth. (Visiting them still appeals greatly, though. What's more, no place could be ruled out if a job with appealing terms and conditions was forthcoming.)

Yet, sometimes, like a smartphone app, you have to hit 'force stop' and either reinstall or forget about it altogether.

With that in mind, it will be seven years this June since we made our return to South America. Moreover, what could be viewed as the 'birth' of Wrong Way has its tenth anniversary this coming November.

It was back in 2008 that the then reluctant traveller took flight from Ireland on a personal voyage of discovery. Things have never been quite the same again, for better and for worse. (The book recounting this 10-year, life-changing phase is in the making. Watch this space!)

We've had a good innings at it. There have been some unforgettable experiences, new friends for life made (we hope) from all walks of life.

However, without some significant modifications in the coming months it feels like this Colombian chapter is drawing to a close, for now at least.

Some of those on the outside looking in might think we'd be silly to end what they see as a sort of surreal, fantasy life when there's no real pressure to do so. 'Sure you're living a relatively carefree existence. Why rock the boat?'

There is merit to that viewpoint.

Yet the reality is that it can often feel more mundane than magical. More of a frustration than a fantasy, especially from a financial perspective.

It's not all about money of course. As The Beatles sang, it 'can't buy you love'. Fair enough, but as a tienda-socialising, non-dancing foreigner in these parts, without flaunting the cash, you might not get much 'action'.

A steady job and income, our own lodgings, a return to 'a life more ordinary' among our own, this kind of living is beginning to look more appealing. If only for a time.

The transition back to that, though, could prove quite a task. For one, finding that steady and hopefully fulfilling job is not going to be easy. There are also plenty of things we like about Colombia.

We must be careful what we wish for. Yet changes are required nonetheless.
________________________________________
Facebook: Wrong Way Corrigan - The Blog & IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz".

Measuring success

How do we measure success? It really depends on how we define it. It's different things to different people, being case- and very often time-dependent.

In some walks of life, defining success is a bit more straightforward, in theory anyway. The sporting world is one obvious example. The rules of engagement are, usually, easily understood and from them emerge the winners separated from the also-rans. 

Of course, normally there can only be one winner and some individuals or teams may have a clear, unfair advantage over others. In such an environment, those who don't actually win may view their season or career or whatever as a success.

Looks quite like the road to failure ... (Image from quotefancy.)

Success-pool

However, on a more personal level, taking our life as a set of interconnected things, judging it as a success (so far — we're not planning to pack it in just yet if we can help it) is down to the way we view it.

As has often been said, the roads to success and failure are very similar. In fact, seeing life as just one long road with plenty of twists and turns, then the difference between success and failure at any one time just comes down to which side of that road we're on. It is, therefore, a mentality thing more than anything else — basically which side of the bed we fall out of on any given day, so to put.

Yes, we have to make decisions at various stages along that road of life, but we continue on one path nevertheless. We can't be on different routes simultaneously.

Even what some people see as fundamental indicators of success can be contested. Take financial stability, for example. On its own, it doesn't necessarily mean we have achieved success. (Fair enough, the line 'It's not always about money' is easier to utter when you have it compared to when you don't. So it is said anyway, we wouldn't know.)

We might have money but we may not have achieved what we wanted to or what we were capable of doing.

Bringing it back to something more natural, the fundamentals of a species, success is ensuring that we pass on our genes to the next generation, and multiple times at that to increase the chances of the germ line continuing for some time.

Yet with the global human population becoming almost too difficult to manage, we could view success as somebody actively limiting the number of offspring he/she has, or not having children at all. 

In this case, we might not pass on our genes, but we can rest assured that our energy will convert into something else when we breathe our last. Reassuring that.

Thus, success, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. That is to say, if others view us as successful but we don't feel it ourselves, then it doesn't really amount to much. In this regard, being successful is linked to finding happiness and fulfilment in what we do.

'One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter', as it's said.
____________________________________________
Facebook: Wrong Way Corrigan - The Blog & IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz".

Corrupt Colombia

There’s an old, but still seemingly very relevant, joke that does the rounds in Colombia. It goes something like this:

'Eh, where's that bridge?' (Photo: Pieter Hupkes.)

A prominent Colombian politician is invited to a major Canadian (insert any First World country here) city by its mayor. 

On arrival, the visiting official is transported in style to the mayor’s residence – an impressive, three-storey mansion hidden away on the outskirts of the city. The esteemed guest is treated to a grand meal served with the finest of cutlery in splendid surroundings.

Somewhat amazed at all the luxury on display, the Colombian politician asks his host where he got all the money to finance such opulence. 

The Canadian invites his visitor to the balcony: “You see that bridge over there” the mayor says, pointing to a spectacular construction spanning a nearby river, “well 10 per cent of the cost of that is in my pocket.” The Colombian nods appreciatively.

A year later, the favour is returned, with the Canadian mayor invited to the Colombian politician’s homeplace. 

Not expecting much, the North American is pleasantly surprised to be picked up from the airport in a top-of-the-range, German stretch limo and transported to a quite stunning, castle-like residence. In the wining and dining department, no expense is spared.

Puzzled as to how this developing world politician could afford all that was on show, the mayor quizzes the Colombian about it. 

The host escorts his guest to the top-floor viewing deck and tells him to look out at the bridge down in the city below. The visitor looks hard for a time, then turns and in bemusement says, “But I can’t see anything.” “Well, you see,” the Colombian informs his new friend, “100 per cent of the cost of that ‘bridge’ is in my pocket.”

So there you have it. A case of, you might say, ‘all politicians are corrupt, but some are more corrupt than others.’ 

This is generally how most Colombians view those pulling the strings in this country. And, considering all that has happened and continues to happen here, such as the apparently ubiquitous phantom public projects highlighted in the 'joke', you couldn’t blame them.

Now, I must state that previously I’d been impressed with how Colombian courts dealt with those found guilty of corruption. 

For example, last year you had a former agriculture minister, Andrés Felipe Arias, sentenced to 17 years imprisonment and fined some 12 million euro for embezzlement. (Ireland, take note; although do note said minister is still 'enjoying' his freedom on the run in the USA.)

Briefcase politics: Still going strong in Colombia. (Photo: dw.de.)

However, in light of recent scandals, it appears that even some of the watchdogs, that is to say the courts and their top judges, are not free of the ‘briefcase influence’. Thus, the justice system has now been called into question.

In a country with a number of under-the-counter, illegitimate businesses on the go, many of those linked to powerful, illegal drug lords, that corruption seems to be endemic perhaps isn’t too surprising. Money is rather vociferous in these parts, regardless of where it comes from.

Yes, there are, at least at face value, genuine forces working to try and combat this culture. The task at hand, though, is monumental.*

Plus, considering it's difficult to know who exactly is straight, it begs the question, 'Who can you trust?' 'Not many' is the most prudent answer.
______________________________________
*For a previous piece giving an example of Colombian double standards, see Soft touch Colombia.