To finish my thought from yesterday, let me explain how Pooh fits into all this.
About 10 years ago, I read a book that was incredibly influential on my life. (I guess I'll have to put it in my book section). It was a book on taoism. It's just a life philosophy, so don't worry, it won't contradict any of your religious beliefs. The book I read is "The Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff.
I've read it more than once, and have agreed with it intellectually for quite some time, but it's just now ... finally ... sinking in spiritually.
Tao does not do, but nothing is not done. (Poem 37 paraphrased)
It's another way of looking at life. Once you see life from a taoist perspective, you realize what is, is. Work with what you have, learn from your experiences, and appreciate whatever happens in life. That's exactly what Pooh Bear does. He goes about life with simplicity, wonder and accept things and events as they are.
Pooh was happy as long as he could visit his friends, have a "smackeral of something" around 11 o'clock, and hum a "new hum" every once in awhile.
Pooh didn't have the worries of being clever enough to calculate the planting the perfect garden like Rabbit. He didn't desire the Knowledge for the sake of knowledge that owl just knew was so important. Pooh didn't worry about the macro-knowledge of everything awful like Eeyore, endlessly watching the "news" getting more depressed by the minute. No anxieties causing him to hesitate too often like the Very Small Animal Piglet. And never leaving a "Bisy Backson" sign on his door for his friends to find like Christopher Robin.
The Puritan Work Ethic:
The Puritan work ethic is the teaching and belief in the necessity of hard work, perfection and the goodness of labor. The Puritans generally taught this as a sacrament (made with sorrow) with the intention of amending original sin. Older generations, in particular to us, the Great Depression generation sees this as the cornerstone of personal and national prosperity. German economist/sociologist Max Weber tried to claim the success of capitalism over all other forms of economy was based on this Puritan (he called Protestant) work ethic.
"an ethic that stresses the virtue of hard work, thrift, and self-discipline." Merrian-Webster Online
While this work ethic MAY have brought them some success, and even perhaps some peace, in the end, it's just about being busy for the sake of being busy. The very act of working has become more important than the result of the work. This is the real reason people like me have so much trouble with the endless paperwork of my current J-O-B. It's monotonous and without any genuine merit or function.
Being busy for the sake of being busy is a waste of life!
We have at our disposal amazing technologies. One person today can accomplish in a day what it took 10 people a full week to accomplish a mere 20 years ago. And what do "THEY" tell us to do with all this productivity and abundance? DO MORE!
Go, go, go!
Do, do, do!
Be, be, be!
Plan your work! Work your plan! Get to the gym! Get to the "committee". Get the kids off to soccer, gymnastics, and 28 other activities on time so you can get them back home to do their 2 hours of homework!
No wonder so many of us get so OVERWHELMED!
What I've Learned:
The Puritan Work ethic gives you stress, heartache, and ulcers.
If you'd like to plan your life better, do it. It's okay. Just make sure you use your new found time in a way you truly enjoy. You're not in competition with anyone. Just be yourself. Paint a picture. Write a song. Play with your kids. It's okay. Sit on the couch and watch some tv.
Life's a journey that beckons to be experienced. And you have to LIVE to experience! Sure, work is part of living. I don't recommend you quit your job and burn your money. Just make sure you genuinely enjoy your daily routine. There is no need to suffer.
God didn't put you here to suffer. If being in an office for 8 hours doesn't make sense to you, find another path for financial sustenance. I personally feel that way!
"Hours" places WORK above ACCOMPLISHMENT. You don't have to find your path right now, or even next week. Just give the thought some genuine sincerity and let it float in the back of your mind. A good, workable idea will eventually come. And don't create a DEAD-line for it either.
Be good to yourself! Stop being your own Worse Boss Ever! Accept yourself for who you are, weaknesses and all, and be just like Pooh, the "un-carved block". Be happy in the simplest of things.
Life is what it is. Play the hand you're dealt. If you're not a go-go-go-getter, then don't worry about being one. Just be who you are.
I'm a little unorganized. Okay ... I'm VERY unorganized. So what? I'm still alive and kickin'! I'm terrible at paperwork, details, and tasks ... and you know something? That's cool with me. And the more I accept all the things I don't do well, the happier I find myself becoming. And I'm pretty sure that's all I really want anyways ... is to be HAPPY.
What about you?
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