Before the work we do to earn a living, I think there's another form of work that precedes it. Actually, I'm not sure it's a form of work, more like the work we do to earn a living is an 'emanation' of this work, just like the light of the moon is an emanation of the light of the sun.
For the sake of this post, let's call this type of work as 'life's work'. Which in the context of this post, can be loosely defined as the work that we're meant to do.
I think being down here on Earth is by and large, very action-oriented, you have to do something, to engage with the external world, it's an active process.
This may be reflected by the perceived give and take dynamic, and the inherent cost that's seemingly attached to every action we take.
One of the interesting realizations I had with the give and take dynamic of engaging with the external world is that nothing is free, and this has been firmly etched into my mind to the point that most of the actions I take are looked through this lens of what is it going to cost me?
Yet, knowing of the inherent cost of our actions need not be a burden or a source of paralysis. You can choose to see it as an opportunity to be more discerning in how you expend our time, energy and resources.
For some, their life's work can come in the form of service to others or to a larger cause, as in contributing to the world in a meaningful way, which in turn gives their lives a sense of purpose and direction.
Lack Of Clarity
Many people fall into this category and one could argue that it is the ultimate stage of the evolution of our life's work.
But before getting to that stage, we first have to identify and pursue our true calling, which always involves following a deep-seated passion or purpose as the starting point.
I view it more as the thread that we pull trying to find it's source. Recently, this thread seems almost blurry for me.
I can't tell if external pressures and societal expectations are clouding my vision or if my confusion stems from a need to connect more deeply with others to gather more clarity on this journey.
To think that clarity can come from outside is a foreign concept to me.
But maybe there's an aspect of my life's work that is intertwined with the lives of those around me, and this blurriness indicates a call to engage more actively with these people or to seek guidance from those who have walked similar paths.
At this point in time, I'm leaning more into the former as the possible cause.
I think as we grow older, external pressures become more subtle yet very pervasive, insidiously manipulating our choices in ways we won't recognize immediately until we look back and realize that we've compromised our authenticity for a false sense of security, when it's already too late.
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