Friday, September 4, 2015

9-4-2015


Mary’s Minute

 

“There is no substitute for hard work.”                                          
                                                  ~ Thomas A. Edison

 

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”                                                                                        
                                                    ~ Colin Powell


There are many successful people who attest to the value of hard work being a strong contributor.  I certainly am a person who believes in the value of hard work, but one thing that is not talked about as often is what “work” really means.  I believe that too often “work” is viewed as a something we must do to get to where we want to go.  It seems like too often work is viewed as a drudgery to achieve something else – money, success, or a chance to rest.  Work is not just good because it gets us where we want to go, but it is good in its own right.  There is the element of enjoying work because it gives us a sense of accomplishment, but I also strive to see the joy in work itself.  It is true that there are times we must work when we are weary or have a task that is not enjoyable, but my goal is to not see work as a four letter word.  I think that I am lucky that my parents taught me to see work as a good thing.  Both of my parents were educators, but they were also always busy working on the side, and they enjoyed it.  We spend so much of our life in a job, so I believe it is important to find joy in the work we do.  My mom, who turns 76 today (Happy Birthday, Mom!) works physically harder today than most people half her age, and she loves it.  She also has a positive attitude about life in general, and she has never viewed work as simply something you do to get somewhere else.  She takes pride in what hard work can achieve, but she also experiences joy in the journey of working itself.  I am lucky to have her as a role model, even if I can’t keep up with her!

Have a great week!

Mary

No comments:

Post a Comment