Work Redefined

Work is defined as an activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.  It is also defined as a task or tasks to be undertaken; something a person or thing has to do.

I have a love-hate relationship with work.  I hated the work I was doing and I loved receiving the money that was the result. That was the means to live a good life.  The American dream.  Find a good job with benefits.  Security.  Safety.

I was in a constant state of conflict.

What did that create in my being?  Resentment.  Resistance.  Pushing through my feelings and knowing.  Sacrificing my energy for living a comfortable life. 

Working for me was a grind.  Being at the office early to prepare for the day.  Being overscheduled with meetings.  Having to produce deliverables.  Supervising and developing strategies for making big shifts in an organization.  Being the face of change in a world that truly pushes back on change.

Work = handing my child over to someone else.

Work = buying a home.

Work = buying a car.

Work = taking a vacation once a year.

Work = catching up on all the chores and duties on the weekend.

Work = pushing through tiredness to show up for commitments.

Work = burning out.

Work = funding my retirement account.

Work = paying the bills on time.

Work = borrowing on credit.

Work = health insurance.

Work = trading my time and energy for an hourly wage.

Work = safety.

Work = security.

Work did not include rest cycles.

Work did not include energy clearing practices.

Work did not include recognition of the emotional labor that was required.

Work was inflexible.

Work was location dependent.

Work was about productivity.

Work was about getting more done with less to do it with.

The question is how do I shift my relationship to work?  Because in truth there is no actual money in the definition of the word work and yet that is all that I have been focused on. 

In my world “work = money” is the only result I have been willing to accept as successful. Maybe even as a measure of my success or deeper yet, a measure of my worth.

The reality is, I am constantly working, all the time, never stops. 

I am working to transmute energy.  I am working on rewriting my story.  I am working to reclaim my power.  I am working to remember my authentic truth.  I am working to shed the shit.  I am working to be seen.  I am working to heal my heart.  I am working to be present in the moment.  I am working to shift my mindset.  I am working to be a better mom.  I am working to be a better partner.  I am working to build better relationships.  I am working to see the beauty.  I am working to weave the magic.  I am working to hold space.  I am working to keep the channel clear.  I am working to receive.  I am working to give from overflow.  I am working at increasing my capacity for higher level energy.  I am working to strengthen my body.  I am working to build confidence.  I am working to rebuild my life.

All of this work is producing results, just not the kind that brings in a consistent flow of money.

What is work to me?  It is thankless.  It is hard.  It is met with resistance.  It is unseen.  It is not valued.  It is weird.  It is non-traditional.  It is too much.  It requires courage.  It is unwanted.  It is misunderstood.  It is exhausting.

But I don’t want work to be this way.

What do I want work to be?  Flowing.  Ease and grace.  Playful.  Joyful.  Purposeful.  Meaningful.  Sought after.  Valued.  Priceless.  Desired.  Sustainable.  Inspiring.

What needs to change for me to align with the work I am here to do?

Get out.  See the world.  Be free.  Adventure.

Just Write: How do you define work in your reality?