How much do you think you are worth?
Every year I get a pension statement showing how much I have paid in and how much I should get when I retire. It also states how much will get paid out should I die while working.
Also every year I get a benefit statement, which says what pay I get and allowances such as health care and how much the included life insurance will pay out should I die while working.
Twice a year I am reminded that I am worth more dead than alive.
I have recently applied for redundancy, which will probably have come through by the time this is published, so my value to my employer is currently being assessed: Am I more valuable to them being employed vs Achieving the target for reduction in headcount and salary savings.
Recently through the wonder that is Twitter I came across this article concerning men and suicide. Made more even significant by the recent suicide of Robin Williams.
The research seems to suggest a combination of 3 factors:
1) A sense of not belonging, of being alone
2) A sense of not contributing, of being a burden
3) A capability for suicide, not being afraid to die.
All three of these motivations or preconditions must be in place before someone will attempt suicide. Although women, too, can take their own lives when they suffer at the intersection of “feeling alone, feeling a burden, and not being afraid to die,” this is clearly a more male phenomenon.Throughout our lives males take more risks and invite injury more often. We are taught that “winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing” and “no pain, no gain.” We often invest so much of our lives in our work, when we lose our jobs or retire we feel worthless, unable to contribute. It’s a short step to feeling we are a burden on those we love.
We also put less effort into developing and maintaining friendships so we can come to feel more and more alone. Read more here
Applying for redundancy is effectively the start of my retirement. Which means according to this article I am approaching a time of my life when men are 6 times more likely to commit suicide. This is an alarming.
How can this statistic be changed?
I suggest 2 ways:
Firstly – Understanding your true value – its not found on a pension or benefit statement. Graham Kendrick wrote a song – “Paid on the nail” which asks the question “How much do you think you are worth? The answer is that our lives have been already been valued and a great price has been paid. Also see Matthew 6 v 25-34
Secondly there is some good suggestions here…
So when I finish work, my rough plan is to get more exercise (making up for 8 hours stuck behind a desk every day) and to get involved with something significant, exactly what I have yet to discover.
What about you?
You need to “belong” and “contribute” for your own well being.
Are you involved in a CVM group? If not then why not? If there isn’t one near you then get together with some guys and start one.
