When I got out of school, I felt I had to find a ‘good job’ and work hard to become successful, which at the moment translated into getting a high-paid job, well recognized by others, hopefully in a ‘solid’ company, so that will bring enough ‘security’ to live happily ever after. I felt something was missing behind this concept.
So, I had to re-evaluate my definition of work. I remember the words of Khalil Gibran: “Work is love made visible.” In this ‘modern world,’ we are subconsciously programmed to believe that work is a method to obtain the money we need for consumption. Although, I believed that compensation for our services is needed, I felt this idea was incomplete. I found a Buddhist text mentioning that the concept of ‘work’ should have three values: beauty, benefit, and good. It says that everyone’s ideal, should be to get a job they like (beauty), which is financially secure (benefit), and where one can contribute to society (good).
If we work just because we want money, we lose sight of the main reason why working ever came to exist: to contribute with others and to live up to our full potential. Working is an opportunity to meet and refine our unique talents, to put into action what is meaningful for us, and to share with creativity our goodness and intelligence with others.
Be proud of your work, be thankful for your capacity to serve others, and use your work as the method to express all the creative power within yourself, and don’t forget that your work is your own personal legacy to this world; that’s how important it is!
