Happy Labour Day! Isn’t life just wonderful? Imagine we are having a day off just because we have developed more human ways of treating each other. In the past people were treated like machines with little care for them as human being. They were supposed to go to work, put work first, last and center. Today we hear men talking about wanting to spend quality time with their wives and children. Many have come to realize that the most important thing in their lives is family. Work is important too because without work you cannot take care of your family as you should, but work must be put into context to balance with every other part of a human life needs.
Some people are happy to be away from work but not to spend time with families, just to not have to show up and face co-workers or bosses who may be bullies. In other words, work that make you sick but you still show up.
Why does work make you sick or unhappy? Check yourself, is it because you are not given recognition? Is it because you are treated with disrespect, no one takes you seriously at work? Is it because you resent your younger supervisor who may be a woman? These stresses are all triggered by your own ego.
Let’s look at work
in this way. Baha’u’llah said in this
new world order let’s consider work as worship “all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart
is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service
to humanity. This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to
the needs of the people. Service is prayer. A physician ministering
to the sick, gently, tenderly, free from prejudice and believing in the
solidarity of the human race, he is giving praise.”
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks, pp. 176-177).
Take your ego out of the work, though I
know this will be difficult, and concentrate of what your work means to others,
how are you contributing to the betterment of society through your work and
find the satisfaction in that. Once you place yourself and your work within
this context, no one will be able to rattle your cage easily. They may try but your joy of purpose will
throw them and they’ll leave you alone but you must do your best.
If you are a public servant, make someone day happy, listen, attend and give your best service to that individual; if you are a salesperson, be enthusiastic, helpful, honest and smile to the customer who comes your way, see what ever you are doing as service and gratitude to your Creator. In that way you will overcome any negativity that may want to creep in to your work life.
Meditation: God, the Creator of the Universe is in
charge therefore nothing can go wrong. Each time I go to work I am honoring the
Creator in body mind and spirit and with that Armour none can stand against me.
