Work - Blessing or Curse?

Most people don’t like to think about work and it often holds a negative connotation. Many of us work simply as a means to making money to survive. Do we live to work or work to live? Well, technically we shouldn’t do either of those, but it’s important to choose work that we enjoy doing without allowing it to identify ourselves. Work should be fun. We were all designed to create, contribute, and invent. All of us made with unique challenges and abilities.

Work is beneficial for many reasons than we may initially give mind to. First, work allows us to contribute something to the world - continually. Many people either try to put in as little effort as possible just to make money and get by. Other people may try to put in a lot of work initially so that later, the business can produce a lot of money and they can enjoy an early retirement. While early retirement may sound great - playing golf, having no schedule, waking up whenever you want; something about it feels a bit irresponsible.

That last sentence is very debatable of course. Many feel they are entitled to do what they want with their success, and they are. But, I feel that as long as I am strong and able, I should be doing something. Not just working on a lower score on golf, but actually using my abilities to better the lives of others and civilization as whole, if possible. The human race is in need of help – on many levels. If we can help, then we should.

Work allows us to stay on a schedule. Although it may sound a bit sinister, “Idle hands make the devil’s workshop” is a commonly known expression. If we don’t have any responsibility, then it’s easy to get off course and live for our own pleasures. A life lived for pleasure alone is no life at all, and may hasten the process of losing our stored wealth. It would be terrible to save up money for an early retirement only to have spent all the money, and need to return to work at a later age – an age in which retirement should be enjoyed.

On a happier note, doing work – work that we actually enjoy, allows us to feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Work that we are inclined to do should be enjoyable, although it may be frustrating at times. The frustrations and setbacks further add to the sense of satisfaction we feel upon completion. If we simply do nothing, are lives are stagnant, and remain without depth.

Getting rich quick isn’t likely to bring lasting results. Money that we gain easily is often thrown away just as easily. We all have an internal idea of how much money we are comfortable managing. If we make more money than we are comfortable handling, then we will subconsciously spend that “excess” money. While it sounds ridiculous for anyone to be uncomfortable having more money, it’s true – more money means there is more responsibility.

We are able to reach a sense of satisfaction by being useful. We can produce sufficient wealth by accepting responsibility. Most importantly, we have to spend that energy into doing things that we actually like to do. Most of us have worked jobs so long, that we have forgotten to give time to doing what we actually like to do. Fortunately we don’t have to think too hard. Do what you love and you will succeed without having to put in half as much effort as it takes to do work you dislike.

For further related reading, please check out: Let In Get Out.