Guest Column: Work hard because you enjoy it, not simply to ‘get ahead’
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on June 23, 2018.
None of us deserve the sunshine that warms the air and paints the world. None of us deserve the rain that washes away the dust and feeds the flowers and the trees. None of us deserve the dog’s trust and happiness when we arrive home, or the cat’s petulant acceptance of our existence in her world. None of us deserve the love of friends, spouses and children. So it follows that the acceptance of the idea that nothing and no one owes us anything is the beginning of one’s capacity for gratitude. Sunshine and rain, a pet’s trust, the love of friends and family are all gifts but we often take them for granted. As if these gifts were worthless, we toss them aside. We would rightfully be annoyed if the host of a party casually and callously ignored the gifts we brought yet we persist in ignoring the daily gifts presented to us. So could we be a little more mindful of, and a little more thankful for the dozens of little gifts offered to us each day? Could we make mindful gratitude a habit? I’m wondering what our day would look like if everyone practised this kind of mindfulness and this habit of gratitude. Would we see more smiles, more direct eye contact, more expressions of support? Would aggregate blood pressures fall, ulcers heal, headaches melt away? Would we generally find ourselves at peace with who we are and where we are, and choose more often to count our blessings rather than covet the stuff of others? Would we begin to see that there is something fundamentally wrong with the stories we have been told since grade school? Principle among these stories is the one that led us to believe that in order to get ahead we must work hard. You may be taken aback by the suggestion that this simple story may be a harmful guide for our lives. Let me explain. First, working hard in itself is not the issue. In fact working hard at something is a source of joy in itself. One can lose oneself in a task or a profession and come away enriched and fulfilled. But working hard at something — your job, your hobbies, your fitness — should be done simply for the sheer joy of doing it and not because it will “get you ahead.” We can all recall people with whom we have worked who obviously enjoyed what they were doing, who took pride in what they were doing. Often their joy seemed infectious and others began to smile a little more freely and complain a little less loudly. The workplace became more inviting. Why spend your eight hours whining and complaining and blaming and backstabbing and building up a quiver of arrows to shoot at whoever you think is to blame for your sad life? If you don’t like your job or your environment find another one. Or find a way to enjoy, for its own sake. Life’s too short to live it in anger and regret. Chose to live more fully instead. Work hard because you enjoy what you’re doing. Period. This is very different from “working hard so I can get ahead.” This theme, I think, reflects a central malady in our society. Working hard “so you can get ahead” introduces a competitive element in which all others come to be seen as adversaries, people to fear, humiliate, and destroy. And if you are “lucky enough” to find yourself at the top of the heap, you may have to try to suppress the memories of those you have destroyed, and of the things you had to do to “get ahead.” We read sociological studies that suggest that one of the qualities of too many corporate executives is a tendency towards psychopathy — the inability to feel remorse, or empathy. Or joy. I’m not suggesting that all successful leaders in business, the professions, the trades, or politics are empty, miserable people. Rather, I’d say most of them were able to get ahead not only because they worked hard and made wise choices, but because they also truly enjoyed what they were doing. Their enjoyment was visible to others and was a source of inspiration — one of the keys of effective (and affective) leadership. Mindfulness of who we are, where we are, and why we are, builds a “capacity for gratitude” which translates into enjoyment — finding oneself in joy. What the world needs now is just a little more joy (and much less aggression.) Peter Mueller is a long-time resident of Medicine Hat who, in spite of all the evidence, continues to believe we can build a better world. 12-11
