Everyone has to do it! It’s part of the journey.
Today, lots of folks will tell you that if your work involves doing something you’re passionate about, you won’t be so unhappy with your job. Or maybe if you’ve found your purpose in life and that’s what your job is all about, you’ll be more fulfilled.
While those things are true, many of us don’t have the luxury of making a living by doing something that we are passionate about. For some of us, we have to work a regular job and then volunteer or work in our spare time doing that which we are passionate about. It’s not always that easy to find our dream job…doing that which we love to do and being able to support our lifestyle and/or our families.
Now don’t forget that as we journey in life, we change and the things that we were passionate about in our 20s and 30s are not the same things we are passionate about in our 40s and 50s. As we have changed, so have our passions.
So how do we stay happy and possess that inner freedom from being entangled or overshadowed by that which we have to do in world?
First, we must have vision; knowing what is real and what is temporary and being true to our self. Knowing the difference between something that will bring about happiness now, and that when its gone, not being attached to it so that you are able to be grateful for having it while you did and understand that you were not meant to have it forever.
Work is that way. You do the best you can at your job, no matter what it is you’re doing and at the end of the day you will feel good about it. You’re not always going to be 100% satisfied, because at times you know more could have been done, but within the limitations of the tools and materials you have been given to work with, you have done all you have can. So, yes, there is a difference between knowing you did all you can, and knowing that if you had more material, funds, etc, more could have been done. This is being true to you and letting go of the attachment that it could have been better. As long as you have made it known that you could have done better under different circumstances, but have done the best you could with what you have, you are being true to yourself. Of course it would be nice if others appreciate your work, but that’s not always going to be the situation.
And what about our purpose in life?
We all can practice our purpose in life, no matter what type of work we do for a living.
Don’t we all share a common purpose in life, in one form or another, to be kind, to be generous, to be loving, to be openhearted? And can we not practice these qualities as we walk through life in different situations?
It’s easy to practice them when everything is going our way. But the real deal is learning to practice them when life isn’t going our way.
So, in essence, we work. But the trick is not to allow work to work us. Remember we have obligations, but also remember our real obligations (purpose), doing the best we can and being true to ourselves, and not allowing the things we do to entangle and overwhelm us. When we are not attached to the outside things, our hearts will be more opened to others, regardless of where they are coming from.
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