Work

Good Morning,

Lately I have been engaged in conversation with many people about work. We all spend the larger portion of our time working and yet most of us consider it part the of our life we just go through to get to the weekends. If we look at that for what it is then most of us blaze through five days of our lives to get to (and hopefully enjoy) two days. Put another way we spend 60 hours a week for 24 hours of pleasure. It's no wonder there are so many people not happy within their jobs or happy at all!

Work can be the greatest pleasure of all, after all you are achieving something, you are learning something, and you are contributing to something. Now whether any of this is true or applies to you personally depends on answering one important question: Why do you go to work? If your only answer is to provide for my family and be comfortable, then chances are you are less than happy in your work. It's not that those are bad reasons for going to work, in fact they are quite noble. It's just that we all go to work for those reasons - that is a given. We need to work for reasons that have more meaning and purpose. Let me propose it this way: We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about! It really is that simple!

Being active and engaged in our work allows us to find creativity, inspiration and accomplishment in our work lives. No matter what you have chosen, or how bad your boss is, or how dismal your companies culture, you are always the chief executive of your inner life (CEIL).

I know this all sounds deceptively simple or like some ideal world that does not exist. I know many people feel they have to work in jobs they do not like. I know many people do not care about any of this at all. I know there are those that simply want a paycheck and to be comfortable. Cows and cats are comfortable and as people we learn sooner or later it's not enough. Believe it or not our work and our jobs can hold greater things for us - lessons to be learned, exciting new possibilities, feelings of accomplishment and so much more that will never show up on your check stub, yet will make you rich beyond your imagination.

Have a fruitful day and carry this thought: If you do it for the money it will not not bring you happiness, but it will make your misery comfortable.

Peace and Love, Jim