Work You Love is Hardly Work at All

#work #love #lessons #perspective

Work can be defined as effort applied for the sake of accomplishing something. The most satisfying work involves directing our individual and team efforts toward achieving a purpose that we personally endorse as a worthy expression of our talent and character.

While work is an essential part of life, it is not everything in life. Likewise, we cannot live lives of absolute leisure time and amusement. For some, striking a balance between what one must do and what one wants to do comes naturally, while for others it represents one of life’s greatest challenges. No matter where one falls on the scale, however, it is prudent to remember that it is almost always through hard work that we are able to realize and fully appreciate our greatest pleasures.

To work is to carry out a duty. “If anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat.” (2 Thess. 3:10). As we read in Proverbs 6: 6-8, “Go to the ant, O sluggard, study her ways and learn wisdom; for though she has no chief, no commander or ruler, she procures her food in the summer, stores up her provisions in the harvest.” Jesus Himself was a carpenter who lived the majority of his life like most others of his time, without evident greatness, and carrying out hard labor.

Through work, a person exercises and fulfills in part the potential inscribed in his or her nature. The primordial value of labor stems from man himself—its author and beneficiary. As St. John Paul II famously stated, “Work is for man, not man for work.” Work, then, is not what we do for a living but what we do with our living. All persons should be able to draw from their work a means of providing for themselves, their families, and the whole of the human community.

People will inevitably have different reasons for working. In American culture, it is not uncommon to focus on the aspect of financial compensation, as it enables one to acquire more material goods and raise one’s standard of living. Others are interested in the increased freedom and leisure time a stable vocation may provide. For many others still, work represents a way to stay afloat while they work behind the scenes to pursue their true dreams, for which they may or may not have well-defined roadmaps. To these individuals who are not passionate about their work and merely see it as a means to an end, work often feels like a miserable chore. They do not appreciate their work and are not likely to feel appreciated in their workplace. By contrast, there are those who yearn for meaningful work. Such people are willing to sacrifice money and leisure to engage in vocations relevant to their lives and passions. They pursue jobs they believe are worth doing, and often seeking to help others.

“To love what you do and feel that it matters—how could anything be more fun?” -Katharine Graham

No matter how one wishes to reap its rewards, one must maintain a proper attitude to labor. It is important to remember that there are no menial jobs, only menial attitudes. The mindsets we adopt in the fulfillment of our duties are within our control. Even those who have not yet been fortunate enough to find vocations rewarding to them in the ways they would prefer can profit spiritually from knowing they are applying themselves to the best of their abilities. There is deep personal reward in a job well done.

In a culture where success is often measured in comfort, material possessions, and status, the majority of the population will inevitably feel insufficient. Hard work is viewed as antithetical to an accomplished life—indeed a punishment for having not yet “made it.” This leads to a lackadaisical and self-defeating work ethic in which poor performance leads to limited prospects for advancement, and so a terrible cycle is set into motion. It is here that a change of perspective would be most helpful, for I say again that there is great personal and spiritual accomplishment to be gained from knowing one has applied oneself fully and responsibly. This is where the true prestige is to be found, not in praise, luxury, and abundance. Life’s greatest joys are not what one does apart from work, but through work.

“The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.” -Richard Bach

Happiness resides in activity, both physical and mental. There is pride and joy to be found in even the most mundane acts of daily living, provided they are carried out with extraordinary care. Because society is structured such that fulfillment at work and enduring happiness are inexorably linked, one must maintain a healthy attitude toward work, and remember, in the words of John Ruskin, “The highest reward for man’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it.”

Above all, when deciding your vocation, consider God’s perspective and ask yourself what He is inviting you to become. Attend to the plan He has laid out for you, and realize your greatness by working with diligence and confidence in the Lord’s intentions for you. If you are unsure of His plans for you, remember that it is through discernment and close communion with God that we can find the answers to life’s fundamental questions, including what we are called to do. In discovering our passions and applying ourselves accordingly, we accept work not as a burdensome act but as a part of who we are, as a joy and a literal labor of love.

In short, find what you love and do it. Love what you do, and in so doing, you will find a greater love for yourself.

“ To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure an opportunity to do it, is the key to happiness.” -John Dewey