Work with Love
“As we live, we are transmitters of life.
And when we fail to transmit life, life fails to flow through us.
And if, as we work, we can transmit life into our work,
life, still more life, rushes into us to compensate, to
be ready and we ripple with life through the days...
Give and it shall be given unto you
is still the truth about life...
It means kindling the life-quality where it was not,
even if it’s only in the whiteness of a washed pocket handkerchief.”
D.H. Lawrence
I came to a great realization the other day—I love to work! I work all the time, and at this point in my life, I don't have to do that. If I don't have actual paying work to do, then I make something up—I make things or I sort things or I clean things. I cook and write. I am happy when I am working. I wonder whether you feel that way, too.
Work gives our lives meaning and purpose. It is both intrinsically and extrinsically rewarding. It satisfies mind, body and soul, especially if your work is something that you enjoy doing. In my opinion, all work is equal. There are not levels of importance ascribed to the kinds of work that people do. A doctor is not more important than a brick-mason, a lawyer is not superior to an office assistant. We need all kinds of people doing all kinds of work for all our lives to run smoothly. One of the most enjoyable work experiences of my life was as a classroom teacher at sheltered workshop in Gainesville, FL. There, fifty or so adults with significant cognitive challenges sorted nuts, bolts and screws into containers, ground solder off machine parts, and wrapped plastic utensils for fast food restaurants. They earned, on average, a few dollars per week. They took great pride in their work. I sometimes worked on the line with them, and they were always faster and more accurate than I. There was much laughter and great love there.
Some of our work places are not so happy. Too often we experience resentment and negativity that poisons the environment. It may be difficult for us to realize that the attitude we bring to our work determines our experience there. If our attitude is positive, filled with life and joy over the privilege of having productive work, then our experience will be positive regardless of what kind of work we do. But if we feel hostile, we will find hostility reflected back. We can “kindle the life-quality where it was not” by working with enthusiasm and commitment, and when we do, “more life rushes in...and we ripple with life through the days.”
In the Spirit,
Jane
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