Don't Take Your Work Too Seriously
When you work, don't take your work (or yourself) too seriously. I thought of this recently while working as Mozart's music was playing in the background on the radio. During the workday I sometimes put on classical music in the background. I'm not really listening to it. It's just background music.
(So here we have some great composition of Mozart serving as basically background noise as I work through the day. Mozart, forgive me!)
While your work may actually produce something as great as Mozart produced, I assure you mine does not. I'm not saying I don't work hard and that what I produce is useless. Far from it. But it's not Mozart.
If even the great Mozart's work winds up as background noise, where does my work - or maybe yours - wind up? It probably proves to be useful for some period of time - mostly a short period of time - and then, as far as the world is concerned, that's it. It's gone, kaput.
Sometimes we do things that have a more lasting impact. Maybe we improve the way our company produces its product or service. For an extreme example of this, think of Henry Ford, the guy who figured out how to produce goods on an assembly line. His idea - his work - had a huge impact on the material progress of our world - even to this day. Maybe you can think of some other examples of someone's work having an impact like that.
Of course, I'll bet most people don't really know about Henry Ford and his creation of the assembly line. After all, people aren't really very well educated today. But nevertheless the idea has had and continues to have an impact on the world - at least the material world.
I don't know how long Mr. Ford's idea will continue to bear fruit. Maybe things will be made completely differently someday and even Henry Ford's assembly line will be a distant memory, maybe even completely forgotten.
As for the rest of us, most of our ideas and work won't last so long or have such an impact.
Indeed, some people don't like to face the fact that they won't be remembered after they die, so they strive to create something that will live on after them. And - again - there certainly are some examples of this. But, really, that's not what makes life worth living, is it?
Of course, this doesn't mean we shouldn't work seriously. Again, I'm suggesting you simply not take your work (or yourself) too seriously. That means if you've got a job to do, do it well. Do it well in spite of the fact that your work probably will not profoundly impact the world in the way Henry Ford's did.
But if your work - the product or service your produce - doesn't have all that dramatic of an effect on this world of ours, how you do your work very well might. When you work hard, are conscientious, about doing your best, are completely honest in all your dealings, you set an example for others that may inspire them to work that way too.
But let's kick this up another notch. As a Catholic, when you work for the greater glory of God, you have all the reason in the world to work seriously, to put your heart and soul into your work. It doesn't matter that you didn't invent the assembly line. Working for the greater glory of God is greater work than Henry Ford's or Mozart's!
To Him goes the glory. If any good effects of your work spill over into the world, fine. Somehow that will be part of God's plan. Think of it as His business, not yours.
So work seriously, but don't take your work too seriously. Remember that working seriously, for the greater glory of God, is working your way to Heaven. That's all that should occupy your time, effort and attention at work in this world.
(So here we have some great composition of Mozart serving as basically background noise as I work through the day. Mozart, forgive me!)
While your work may actually produce something as great as Mozart produced, I assure you mine does not. I'm not saying I don't work hard and that what I produce is useless. Far from it. But it's not Mozart.
If even the great Mozart's work winds up as background noise, where does my work - or maybe yours - wind up? It probably proves to be useful for some period of time - mostly a short period of time - and then, as far as the world is concerned, that's it. It's gone, kaput.
Sometimes we do things that have a more lasting impact. Maybe we improve the way our company produces its product or service. For an extreme example of this, think of Henry Ford, the guy who figured out how to produce goods on an assembly line. His idea - his work - had a huge impact on the material progress of our world - even to this day. Maybe you can think of some other examples of someone's work having an impact like that.
Of course, I'll bet most people don't really know about Henry Ford and his creation of the assembly line. After all, people aren't really very well educated today. But nevertheless the idea has had and continues to have an impact on the world - at least the material world.
I don't know how long Mr. Ford's idea will continue to bear fruit. Maybe things will be made completely differently someday and even Henry Ford's assembly line will be a distant memory, maybe even completely forgotten.
As for the rest of us, most of our ideas and work won't last so long or have such an impact.
Indeed, some people don't like to face the fact that they won't be remembered after they die, so they strive to create something that will live on after them. And - again - there certainly are some examples of this. But, really, that's not what makes life worth living, is it?
Of course, this doesn't mean we shouldn't work seriously. Again, I'm suggesting you simply not take your work (or yourself) too seriously. That means if you've got a job to do, do it well. Do it well in spite of the fact that your work probably will not profoundly impact the world in the way Henry Ford's did.
But if your work - the product or service your produce - doesn't have all that dramatic of an effect on this world of ours, how you do your work very well might. When you work hard, are conscientious, about doing your best, are completely honest in all your dealings, you set an example for others that may inspire them to work that way too.
But let's kick this up another notch. As a Catholic, when you work for the greater glory of God, you have all the reason in the world to work seriously, to put your heart and soul into your work. It doesn't matter that you didn't invent the assembly line. Working for the greater glory of God is greater work than Henry Ford's or Mozart's!
To Him goes the glory. If any good effects of your work spill over into the world, fine. Somehow that will be part of God's plan. Think of it as His business, not yours.
So work seriously, but don't take your work too seriously. Remember that working seriously, for the greater glory of God, is working your way to Heaven. That's all that should occupy your time, effort and attention at work in this world.
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