Mid Life Crisis of a Mid Twenties

guest-post-iconThis is a guest post from Marky.

So early in life and I’m already assessing my self if where I am now is where I really wanted to be. 23 years so far, passed high school without a glitch, cruised around college life, thrived qualifying for a professional license, struggled with work, now here abroad earning my fair share of the greenback as an auditor. I know that where I am now would have been the envy of a lot of guys around my age. But if you ask me if it’s all worth it, the financial stability, the prospect of going no where but up, the bright future that lies ahead, I think not.

I can vividly remember the chat I had with my officemate a few a days back. We were contemplating about what type of work we would opt to be doing. We had a few requirements. For starters, we wanted a job that we would be doing only if we want to. We sighted examples such as being an FX driver, or maybe something that has to do with freelance photography. Next, something that we would be doing because we love doing, again photography popped up, graphic artist maybe and probably pro athlete. Writing also appeared out of the back of my mind, playing music too, as well as doing some sketching. Another requirement we had was that we would have a steady income no matter what. I can only think of one profession that fits the bill, an owner of a “paupahan”.

A few blogs back, I have shared with you the things that I really wanted, such as singing, playing music and composing, and maybe also hinted about how I really love to sketch. But I guess what ever little talent I have would not suffice to be used to earn a living. I guess auditing is what God really made me for. I just hope I realize why he gave me this so called calling.

Like me, more and more Filipinos are leaving the country. Here now, gone tomorrow. Nothing captures the current status of the audit community, now a day, better than these few words. With more and more CPAs and auditors leaving the country, local firms are facing a dire situation of brain drain and under manning. They are starting to resort to external recruitments rather than promoting from within, they are digging deeper and deeper into their pockets in a frantic effort to prevent people from leaving. But to no avail, people still leave for the greener pastures that foreign firms offer. For new and better opportunities local firms cannot offer no matter how hard they try.

I don’t know. Truth is I’m actually not planning to go out of the country, at least not until I have gained my promotion. However, as fate moved its hand upon me, here I am, working abroad, living the dream that auditors back home have been dreaming of. I’m just grateful for the opportunity.

Ok. I started this out whining about the nuances of my current situation. It’s absolutely hard to find the finer points of life when you’re homesick and lonely. But at the end of the day, before I close my eyes, when there’s no one around but God and me, I thank him for bringing me here, for all the opportunities and blessings he has showered me. Every single day I think of any reason why God has made me worthy of all these things. I guess it’s just God’s grace, I don’t deserve to be here, but God made me worthy, thank you Lord for all the blessings. Kalas!

16 Comments

  1. Haaaaahhhhh!!!

    Everything you two have said, it’s just too good to be true.

    Anyway, let me point you to the poem I found somewhere and posted here entitled, “I Love My Job“.

    Indeed, it’s just too good to be true!

  2. Nice one Marky!

    A lot of us are really wondering why we’re here.. why are we working a not-so-normal-not-an-eight-to-five job unlike the others. We’re even wondering why do we have to leave the country and work in a foreign land…

    So many questions and so many complaints actually… But you’re right, at the end of the day, we’ll just be glad that we have a job to complain about. A job that is far better compared to the jobs of other people not only in our native land but even abroad…

    Everything happens for a reason and this could be part of God’s plan for us. I guess, we just need to be a little bit patient and wait for that “PLAN”…

  3. Yeah, it’s really not about loving the job. Sometimes or probably, most of the time, you have no choice, but to do the best you can to perform/accomplish the job.

    But just think, we may not have the best job in the world, but at least we have a job… How many people are dying to do everything just to have a job. How many people out there have to bear of working on a job they didn’t or never wanted to have.

    But then again, I am not saying that you should be a martyr and stay even if you’re no longer happy with yours. There are some factors that we need to consider and for me the most important factor is the people you are working with specifically, “the boss”. Even if you love your work if you are not happy with your boss… It will be hell… I would like to quote this phrase from an article I read not too long ago; “people who leaves the firm, don’t leave the firm, they leave their boss”. and I personally believe this one, it’s what you call “people factor”…

  4. Really? Well, tell that to your boss!

  5. We’ll come to that point, man…. hehehe

  6. We’ll wait for that moment! bwahahaha

  7. for others in mid 20s they call it “quarter life crisis”.. coz they expect to live long hehe.. anyway this discussion is classic. i havnt met a working man of my age who have nothing to complain be it work or personal life.. there is always something to complain.. we have a good satisfying job, we complain about our pay.. we get high paying job, we work like slaves and we dont like our masters.. we plan to have our own business, we think of security and afraid to take the risk.. very unstable.. crisis..

  8. They expect to live long? I don’t know.

    Maybe it’s just a matter of the very high expectation we always have thought of ourselves.

    I remember when I was yet in high school or maybe early college. I was seeing myself that at the age of 25 to already have a stable job, owns a comfortable house, a car, maybe even happily married. But now, I’m already 27, and, do I still need to elaborate?

  9. hahaha..i did have high expectations when i was young..and i think i’m on my way to meeting that expectation..anyway..i never thought that my expectations were a bit boring and insignificant..

  10. Yes, you guys are so lucky to be working in a well-respected profession and who knows, be one of the future partners of that prestigious audit firm. Unlike other Filipino professionals working abroad who had to go down one level (or way below) in their career in pursuit of greener pastures.

  11. @ Ninivech, future partners? haha

    You surely have a sense of humor, heh…. heheheh 🙂

  12. Jorelle’s goin’ to be the 5th partner of EY Doha. hahaha

  13. why not? not necessarily in Doha could be in other branch. o di lang type maging partner?

  14. pre Jorelle, bago ka maging partner dyan kailangan mo mo muna lagpasan ang talino ni Tayabaran….hehehe

  15. @ Mike, parang meron ka ata iniwan na matinding galit sa mga tao dito ah? hehe una si rajesh, ngaun si thayabaran nman… hehehe

  16. di ah, i have no problem with rajesh. he’s alright…..hehehe

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