What is work?
Why work?
What is the nature of work and why do we engage in it?
The conventional take is that you work for the sake of money. Then you use the money to pay for your lifestyle, buying a home, food, toys and vacations — a means to an end.
And we know that work is confined between 9 am - 5 pm, Monday to Friday. So you’re willing to spend the majority of your prime years sitting behind a desk.
But is this understanding of work truly fulfilling or does it leave us feeling unsatisfied?
The deception of modern work
Modern work evolved from hunting to agrarian to trade skills to factory labour and finally to white-collar jobs.
You’re led to believe that sitting at desks, having meetings, reading memos, etc. is work and that this type of work is peak evolution because you’re finally an intellectual worker.
Yet if this is true, then why do you feel so empty, so unfulfilled with work?
Why do so many white-collar workers respond with lackluster enthusiasm or disdain when asked about their jobs?
This dissatisfaction grinds away at their soul. Slowly but surely.
Pseudo-Liturgical moments
To cope with this, we create pseudo-liturgical moments into the work week to help enliven our soul like ‘Hump-day’ and ‘TGIF’.
These pseudo-liturgical moments are used to share camel memes and high-fives with co-workers and friends.
The aim is to minimize the dread associated with work and create a temporary hope for a more fulfilling experience on the weekend.
But this points to our corrupted view of work as a means to an end. It breeds depression, meaningless actions, and a feeling of unfulfillment.
What is work
You have to flip the modern notion of work upside down. Work is not a means to an end but also an end in itself.
Work is the active participation of the entire person in the act of creation. This focus is not only on financial outcomes but on the act of creating something meaningful and lasting.
From this arises satisfaction and fulfillment. Because both the intellect and the body are engaged in this process of work.
This harmony is evident in the satisfaction of farmers whose physically demanding work doesn’t drain their souls but actively nourishes them.
Meaning of work
In our society, we’ve severed this bond between creator and creation. Work has become a means of acquiring material possessions.
This disconnect between creator and creation leads to a soulless existence where anxiety is the norm. And where weekends become a fleeting rest from the draining workweek.
Not everyone can become a farmer or wants to be one. But everyone can seek to rekindle this bond between yourself and your creation.
In establishing this bond, you’ll find a sense of fulfillment and joy. Through it, work will nourish your soul.
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Insightful!