THE ART OF WORK

Man is designed to work. To put food on his table, clothes on his back and a roof over his head, work is a necessary factor that help him accomplish all these.  Man and work are inseparable because by nature man is designed to work. Beyond having his basic needs met and beyond the need to survive man seek something greater. Man and woman in all walks of life are frustrated, tired, depressed, and many suffer from deep psychological torture because their lives lack meaning and as a result they lack peace of mind. Many are confined in hospital beds as a result of clinical depression, many are in rehabilitation centers as a result of drugs and alcohol related problems which seriously inflicts them and thousands of individuals in many parts of the world are taking their own lives as a result of  depression  , hopelessness and lack of peace.

I saw on Tv the other day the case of a wealthy man who left a suicide note containing the words " dear world, I am leaving you because I am bored....." before committing suicide.  Obviously the man was suffering from a serious case of boredom which his wealth failed to alleviate.  I believe loneliness is  the number one cause of boredom and the extreme case of boredom is what result into clinical depression.

 Many workers today who have good employment and receive good salaries feel separated from their work and as a result feel lonely and unattached to what they do because they do not align themselves to their place of calling in life. Many individuals today have a myopic view of what work really mean. The average individual believe the purpose of work is to make money only. This limited view of work is what make many do the jobs they don't enjoy and many employees today cant wait to go on a vacation in order to escape from the demand their jobs place on them on a daily basis. Work which is suppose to be fun, fulfilling,  satisfying has become such a huge burden for so many employees today because they fail to align themselves in their place of calling in life. Work can be a huge burden when purpose is missing. Their are so many miserable millionaires who feel so out of harmony with what they do. their are too many unfulfilled bankers, frustrated engineers, unhappy nurses who feel so out of sync with what the do because they lack passion and love for what they do. When a man properly align himself to the place of his calling work cease to be a burden.

A sense of purpose changes the view a man has about his work. Rather than a means to make money and survive, it becomes a means to add value.  A life of purpose is a life of meaning. Purpose is what brings life to work. Work is never meant to be boring but when purpose is missing then the individual only seeks happiness in making money by all means. Purpose enable us cope with the disadvantages that surrounds our work,hence focus our energy towards useful ends. When purpose is lacking life becomes unbearable and work becomes a huge burden. As mankind we exist for a reason and that reason is to find our purpose and play our part by aligning ourselves to the place of our calling. When a man can't lay his hands on the "why" he exist his energy is channeled in the direction of depression, suicidal thoughts and even violence as a result of lack of peace.Work gives a man a sense of independence and a sense of usefulness in life as he recognises himself as part of the force that drive the human society forward. Hence, this gives him a sense of contribution. Give a man work, the dignity of his manhood is restored. When work is taken from man by virtue of right-sizing, sicknesses, retirement or accident a sense of dependence strip him off his dignity of manhood such that the man sees himself as a burden to his family and the society at large. The thought of worthlessness and depression can lead such a man in the direction of violence, alcohol consumption ( in some cases just to protect their ego) and suicide. Hence work has a psychological influence in the life of a man. Work beyond meeting needs beings satisfaction and a sense of contribution to the man who aligns himself to the place of his calling.

Work is a great gift to all mankind but the  soul is tortured when it lacks a sense of purpose. When life becomes boring and uninteresting by virtue of e.g retirement it is always advisable to pursue a new course. A new dream. Life does not pamper the static person. It punishes such a one with unbearable lack of peace of mind . Many end their lives to find peace in the eternal realm. This is why great men keep dreaming and bringing old things into new form by improving their minds. Life is a boring place for the man that lacks dreams,direction and purpose in life. Are you old and bored? You can start pursuing a new course, go back to school, be a part of the relief society, become a philanthropist and draw nearer to the Infinite Mind for comfort and peace of mind. As mankind we spend a lot of time at work than In other things because work happen to be a channel where we draw income to meet with the necessities of life. Why then should a man choose for himself the kind of work that does not fit with his design, that does not make him happy and that does not give him a sense of satisfaction and contentment? Having a sense of purpose requires that we set new goals and realign our values as we advance in age in our dynamic world. What gives us the feeling of relevance and contribution is our ability to cope with change in a world that is rapidly advancing. Hence moving with change and setting new goals create in us a sense of purpose in our respective field of calling in life. Work is a channel through which purpose is made manifest and kept alive through continuous goal setting. Not having a sense of purpose makes work a huge burden. Man and woman in all walks of life as a result of lack of purpose are unable to channel negative emotions to a constructive ends hence they seek escape by indulging in consumerism, taking antidepressants and other drugs in order to escape the feeling of emptiness that feel and many commit suicide just to end the unbearable pain that comes from a life that lack meaning.

Man is designed to work. His physical and cognitive make up demands that he works In order to maintain his existence and survival. For man to enjoy his escape from extinction by virtue of surviving he needs a deeper sense of self. He needs purpose. Purpose enable man finds his niche and enjoy his work. For man to enjoy his work he needs to set new goals as he advances since change is the inevitable element that sustain and drive evolution.  Hence work, purpose and the need to set new goals help in the shaping of man's mind and enable man to act as a creative force in the advancement of the world he occupies. burdom is a threat to all mankind.  When man does not involve himself in any activity , when a man is not in his place of calling and when man fails to create new goals and continue to stick to the convenient or tradition, then he will be faced with this emotional threat in life. A sense of purpose help us achieve psychological balance and enjoy inner peace.

Thanks for reading this article. I dedicate this article to the Almighty God who is the source of inspiration and knowledge.
Written by: Uwagboe Anthonia Peace