The Worker Today

Through our lifetime we put all our energy into spending our first years learning to walk and talk, then the next few years starting school all the way to graduation. With the hopes that you will secure a good paying job and then working the rest of your years until retirement. But what are we attempting to secure? Happiness? perhaps a life that feels everlasting and fulfilling in every way. Maybe you are simply working to supply the basic needs in life (food, shelter, and clothing). What ever the reason we are always searching, eventually we run into this inevitable feeling of despair and uselessness. The big question I want to ask is how? How do we go about living life and working towards a goal without this deep dark feeling of running like a hamster in a wheel?

Let's look at the first possible and more transcendentalist way of life. Truth, and beauty and all that is naturally good in life and not bought by monetary substance is what can fulfill our need for happiness.

Surrounding ourselves with what god has given us from birth. The rich landscapes that yield so much including bountiful food, water, safe locations and fresh air. Poets and artists alike have dedicated their lives to capturing this life and its essence for their own enjoyment and for others. to describe in detail every aspect of this life would either be impossible or simply bring a tear to ones eye if this was something that is longed for. For example the sun drenched rolling hills as they are covered by the lazed sunset as the nighttime slowly rolls in on the vast open land. The smell of the fresh dew soaked grass in the early morning as the sounds of birds and insects begin to rustle about in the trees. The feeling of the wind as it lightly brushes your skin as its being kept just warm enough by the sun high in the afternoon sky. The feeling of the grass fields on your feet as you walk through them like silk threads brushing against your legs and toes. Although this does not make everyone happy this natural wonderland is not for everyone.

So the rolling hills of the "Shire" aren't for you? (forgive my LOTR reference) Perhaps you're more of a city slicker? I get that, there are plenty of people who find comfort and solace within the confines of the city lights and traffic sounds. The hustle and bustle of the city is one not many can forget and some cannot get used to when they are fond of the quiet outskirts of town. That somewhat white noise of passing cars and and people chattering on about business and their next recreational activity. Driving your Eco-Friendly vehicle to the nearest "Nature Park" for a quick jog or stroll in your newly purchased yoga pants you found at the hottest store down at the strip mall last weekend with the girls. Grabbing a Venti non-fat, no whip, upside down white chocolate mocha with two shots of espresso and commuting on the subway to work while in a virtual meeting with one VP and preparing the paperwork for another on the metro. Although this life may sound hectic and stressful, to some this life spells out success and achievements beyond their wildest dreams. It means more money and promotions, better offices, better homes, and higher positions. Is this happiness? Now I'm not specifically saying that each person is particular to where they want to live but I use these examples to say that each way of life brings the person a certain kind of happiness.

So to make my point a bit more clear, let me use a bit more profound examples. Taking location and wealth out of the equation we are left with how we feel. Perhaps the answer to our happiness is love? Can we find happiness within the fathoms of our own hearts or within the reaches of others? Take the richest man alive and offer him everything, well of course this would not please him for he has everything already. So what do you offer the richest man in the world who owns everything in the world? Can you offer him love? Love is immeasurable, it cannot be weighed monetarily nor can it be traded or estimated in value. Therefor it is all but unknown to him. Thus the question arises, would this rich man even accept it if they felt it had no value to them? Now do the same but give it to the man who has nothing. In this situation the man does not know what is worth something and what is not, he only knows what he feels and what he is feeling is the love he is being given. Therefor by that definition it has value. Keep giving this man all the love you have to spare and he will feel richer than the richest king.

My point may be a bit vague here so I'll attempt to sum things up for you to make it clear for you. I wrote this piece in the hopes that I could remind people out there in the world of why we do what we do. We don't JUST work to pay bills, we don't pay bills JUST to keep things going or JUST to keep a roof over our heads. Happiness isn't the same for everyone, take time, sit down, close your eyes and try to think clearly about what your true happiness actually looks like. When you remember what it is your fighting for, its just the tip of the iceberg. Whether your happiness comes from succeeding in life, getting that promotion or that fancy car, a 12-acre farm with cows and horses or even finding your true love do what makes you happy and you will never question your purpose in this life.