Working with Joy

         In his book, “The Prophet,” Kahlil Gibran said, “Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love, but only with distaste, it is better that you should sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.”

        It’s time we shatter the myth that the measure of our productivity and worth is in the amount of misery, busyness, and frustration we experience. Pleasure and peacefulness are two of nature’s indicators of well-being. Acceptance and love come freely with the gift of life. They are not earned by the sweat of our brow.

          When we realize that work is just the frosting on the cake, we can keep our self-worth in perspective. We can sort out what is most important, spend our days doing what we most enjoy, and create a work environment that gives to us – just as we give to others. It doesn’t matter what you’ve chosen as your career – whether you’re a parent, teacher, secretary, sales rep, executive – the supreme joy of living comes from the services you provide to other people.

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          Jesus Christ taught often about servanthood. As a matter of fact, in Matthew 23:11 He said, “The greatest among you shall be your servant.”

            People who strive to dream, visualize, develop, and become all that they can become – and people who help others dream, visualize, develop, and become what they can become – are doing the most important work they can do. They are helping to complete God’s work.

             A happy, healthy, and productive life is one that allows you to be at peace with who you are, where you are in life, and where you are going.