There are so many different kinds of work in the world.
More than we can even imagine!
It is simply amazing how many different directions we can go in,
when we give ourselves the freedom to choose.
We have categories that we put the different kinds of work into:
manual, intellectual, technical, professional, artistic, spiritual…
But let’s ask ourselves some questions:
Do we consider any one of these kinds of work superior to the others?
Do we consider the people who do it to be superior to people
who do other kinds of work?
What kind of work did our parents teach us was the best kind of work?
Were we expected from the day we were born to grow up and do it
to make them proud of us?
Did we ever say to ourselves:
That’s all well and good, but what kind of work makes me feel proud?
Are you ready to ask that?
Let’s DO this!
A young man’s hands
A few years ago I spent two summers in a beautiful little campground on the
shores of Lake Erie.
I had a fifth wheel and other people had various campers.
The camp site was at the top of a cliff overlooking the beach.
One day I was walking along the road by the cliff.
I saw a young man constructing stairs to go down to the beach.
It was a heck of a job.
The cliff was maybe 20 or 30 feet straight down.
But those stairs he was building were looking beautiful!
After a while he came up to the top where I was.
I went over to him to say hello and to thank him for his work.
I put out my hand to shake his.
He hesitated.
He looked down at his hands, then said, rather ashamedly,
“They’re dirty.”
I looked him in the eyes and said: “That’s a badge of honor.”
He stood there stunned. Didn’t move. Looked at me as if he was in shock.
Finally he said softly: “God, I wish my parents had said that to me.”
What work is worthy of being proud?
All honest work is worthy.
But it is the work we do with love that will make us proud.
The work we do with love will make our heart sing,
unless we let someone else spoil it for us.
Our work can’t be dictated by other people.
We can’t allow ourselves to be channeled into it
to fulfill somebody else’s dream
or to make them look good.
We need to move in our own free direction.
We need to fulfill our own personal dream for ourselves.
What work do you love to do?
You may love to work with your hands
or with your ideas
You may love to work with children
or with gardens
with trees
or with rivers
You may love to build buildings
create food
program computers
or drive trucks
You may love to preach or to paint
to dance or debate!
Take things apart, or put them together
Lead, follow, raise chickens, raise heck or whatever…
But no matter WHAT you do
don’t let ANYBODY tell you
that one kind of work is superior to another
and that you will be superior to others if you do it.
Anyone who tries to tell you that
will see no need to understand you.
They will not value you and your dreams.
And they will never understand
why you are so proud of yourself
as you do, with love, the work that gives you joy.
QUESTION:
If you give yourself the freedom, what kind of work would you choose?
I hope you will write and tell me.
Dr. Hall