Work.
What is this thing we all MUST do in order to survive? This movement of sorts where we are required to participate? To provide food, shelter, heat or air, to our selves and loved ones. Why does work have to be such a dominant factor in our lives and define who we are as a people?
"What do you do?" A typical question asked without thought and answered with a scripted response all too familiar. If you tend to think a little highly of yourself, you might have to define what you do, just so people know how important you are. If you have a job that is an obvious lower-level employment, then this question can be a problem, especially in "unsafe" circles. Like a room full of pompous businessmen when you are an artist.
What we all do however is contribute to this societal structure in some meaningful way. We all build a block that contributes to the foundation on which society resides and looks to for comfort. After all, the only way people can complain about how society is, is because there is a society to complain about. A society mind you, that allows for you to do this, versus punishing. The contributions of everyone, even those who are not seemingly contributing in a way we might expect, is what keeps all of this together.
Too often we look to the doctor, the pastor, the surgeon, the professor, as the highest of the professions, and think they deserve more of the pie. Too often people hear of custodial work and think that someone who cleans and maintains is somehow entitled to less. We put ourselves in these categories much of the time, and yet we complain about the classes and the increasingly shrinking "middle-class." We divide resources unfairly because we are all entitled to more than we have and so those who can get more, should?
Society is a collection of oddballs, misfits, and even worse, the ones who believe they are the normal ones. Society and our differences is what we all secretly like and depend on to exist, reminding us that we are not THAT bad, or only THOSE people do THAT. If THOSE people didn't do it, or someone didn't maintain the office then it might be YOU who is THAT person (said so negatively). This thing we call work is such a necessary component of life because without it, things don't get done, things fail to produce, and worst off, people fail to grow in anyway.
Even spiritually speaking, we are called to work, to produce and maintain. Thus, every job, every person who works or contributes in some way is doing exactly what we are called to do. Those who choose not to for their own reasons are typically living in their own suffering, one I would not wish on anybody. After all, even Jesus, the Son of the King of the Universe, God incarnate, was a carpenter. The first book of the Bible depicts God creating, working, and even reminds us to rest after sometime.
Internal growth can only come from other, more base-level needs being met. Things like food, water, shelter, knowing you are safe enough to grow. When these needs are met, then we can begin to grow and self-actualize. We can finally stop surviving and start using our gifts to help contribute or work back into society. The growth that comes from work is the hands-on experience that must exist to know what to do, when, how, and get that special skill that only you could know. We all need to feel pride in what we do, take credit for something, even if it is just us, just inside.
When we see people failing to contribute in ways that we deem appropriate, we allow their problems to be ours. We then generalize and state that, "what if everybody did that?" Though, we argue for our own individual demands to be met, clearly indicating that your "everybody" mentality isn't where you reside. Expectations, judgments, and fear of affecting our quality of life we are ENTITLED to are problems we create by allowing other's choices to affect us, when yes, we allow them to affect us.
Argue for fairness and equality all you want, but the first time someone asks you for money and you unfold your twenties to give them a one, the lack of sacrifice speaks differently. All-or-nothing would tell me to give it all, or make some excuse about the greater good, enabling, and why these people need to be punished for their LAZY ways.
The truth is that we are all fortunate to be alive, fortunate to have the availability to warmth, spiritual expression, freedoms, all the things we take for granted because they are so basic. The fact that I can write these words today is a reminder to me that contributions are made by everyone, we just do not yet see the impact of every one's contributions because we are not that important ourselves.
Don't make other people's problems yours, do not judge the ways in which another lives, that is done higher up, yes, even higher than the lawyer or surgeon, no matter how prominent.
For a look into my own journey through trials related to mental health and my way of contributing, click HERE for a book I wrote.
"What do you do?" A typical question asked without thought and answered with a scripted response all too familiar. If you tend to think a little highly of yourself, you might have to define what you do, just so people know how important you are. If you have a job that is an obvious lower-level employment, then this question can be a problem, especially in "unsafe" circles. Like a room full of pompous businessmen when you are an artist.
What we all do however is contribute to this societal structure in some meaningful way. We all build a block that contributes to the foundation on which society resides and looks to for comfort. After all, the only way people can complain about how society is, is because there is a society to complain about. A society mind you, that allows for you to do this, versus punishing. The contributions of everyone, even those who are not seemingly contributing in a way we might expect, is what keeps all of this together.
Too often we look to the doctor, the pastor, the surgeon, the professor, as the highest of the professions, and think they deserve more of the pie. Too often people hear of custodial work and think that someone who cleans and maintains is somehow entitled to less. We put ourselves in these categories much of the time, and yet we complain about the classes and the increasingly shrinking "middle-class." We divide resources unfairly because we are all entitled to more than we have and so those who can get more, should?Society is a collection of oddballs, misfits, and even worse, the ones who believe they are the normal ones. Society and our differences is what we all secretly like and depend on to exist, reminding us that we are not THAT bad, or only THOSE people do THAT. If THOSE people didn't do it, or someone didn't maintain the office then it might be YOU who is THAT person (said so negatively). This thing we call work is such a necessary component of life because without it, things don't get done, things fail to produce, and worst off, people fail to grow in anyway.
Even spiritually speaking, we are called to work, to produce and maintain. Thus, every job, every person who works or contributes in some way is doing exactly what we are called to do. Those who choose not to for their own reasons are typically living in their own suffering, one I would not wish on anybody. After all, even Jesus, the Son of the King of the Universe, God incarnate, was a carpenter. The first book of the Bible depicts God creating, working, and even reminds us to rest after sometime.
Internal growth can only come from other, more base-level needs being met. Things like food, water, shelter, knowing you are safe enough to grow. When these needs are met, then we can begin to grow and self-actualize. We can finally stop surviving and start using our gifts to help contribute or work back into society. The growth that comes from work is the hands-on experience that must exist to know what to do, when, how, and get that special skill that only you could know. We all need to feel pride in what we do, take credit for something, even if it is just us, just inside.
When we see people failing to contribute in ways that we deem appropriate, we allow their problems to be ours. We then generalize and state that, "what if everybody did that?" Though, we argue for our own individual demands to be met, clearly indicating that your "everybody" mentality isn't where you reside. Expectations, judgments, and fear of affecting our quality of life we are ENTITLED to are problems we create by allowing other's choices to affect us, when yes, we allow them to affect us.
Argue for fairness and equality all you want, but the first time someone asks you for money and you unfold your twenties to give them a one, the lack of sacrifice speaks differently. All-or-nothing would tell me to give it all, or make some excuse about the greater good, enabling, and why these people need to be punished for their LAZY ways.
The truth is that we are all fortunate to be alive, fortunate to have the availability to warmth, spiritual expression, freedoms, all the things we take for granted because they are so basic. The fact that I can write these words today is a reminder to me that contributions are made by everyone, we just do not yet see the impact of every one's contributions because we are not that important ourselves.
Don't make other people's problems yours, do not judge the ways in which another lives, that is done higher up, yes, even higher than the lawyer or surgeon, no matter how prominent.
For a look into my own journey through trials related to mental health and my way of contributing, click HERE for a book I wrote.
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