The first interviewee was a journalist. His answer was twenty-two.
The second applicant was an engineer. He pulled out a slide rule and showed the answer to be between 3.999 and 4.001.
The next person was a lawyer. He stated that in the case of Jenkins vs. Commr. of Stamp Duties, two and two was proven to be four.
The last applicant was an accountant. The businessman asked him, "How much is two and two?"
The accountant got up from his chair, went over to the door and closed it then came back and sat down. He leaned across the desk and said in a low voice....
To each man is reserved a work which he alone can do.
~ Susan Blow ~
When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts, the circle of Creation is completed inside us, the doors of our souls fly open and love steps forth to heal everything in sight.
~ Michael Bridge ~
A man is a worker. If he is not that he is nothing.
~ Joseph Conrad ~
It is better to wear out than to rust out.
~ Richard Cumberland ~
I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.
~ Thomas A. Edison ~
Good work habits help develop an internal toughness and a self-confident attitude that will sustain you through every adversity and temporary discouragement.
~ Paul J. Fleyer ~
Other Thoughts on Work
Work your way up or rust your way out.
~ Holton ~
If your work is becoming uninteresting, so are you. Work is an inanimate thing and can be made lively and interesting only by injecting yourself into it. Your job is only as big as you are.
~ George C. Hubbs ~
Work for the fun of it, and the money will arrive some day.
~ Ronnie Milsap ~
There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in --that we do it to God, to Christ, and that's why we try to do it as beautifully as possible.
~Mother Teresa ~
Every job has drudgery, whether it is in the home, in the school, or in the office. The first secret of happiness is the recognition of this fundamental fact.
~ M. C. Mcintosh ~
When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die.
~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~
The man who does not work for the love of work but only for money is not likely to make money nor find much fun in life.
~ Charles M. Schwab ~
I never worked a day in my life. It's not work when you love what you're doing.
~ David Shakarian ~
Pennies do not come from heaven -- they have to be earned here on earth.
~ Margaret Thatcher ~
He got the job.
From: Ms. Delete@voy.net
When you work, you fulfil a part of the earth's furthest dream,
assigned to you when the earth was born,
And in keeping yourself with labor you are in truth loving life
and to love life through labor
is to be intimate with life's inmost secret.
Work is love made visible.
And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste,
it is better that you should leave your work
and sit at the gate of the temple
and take alms of those who work with joy.
All knowledge is vain save when there is work
and all work is empty save when there is love;
and when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself,
and to one another, and to God.
Let me try to read into what the mystic Kahlil Gibran is telling us.
Each of us is given a seed when we come to this world. It is this "acorn" that we nurture until it blooms into a strong oak tree; it is this tree that humanizes the earth by making it liveable for everyone. The "acorn" is our talent, or our capability to be creative. When we put it to good use, it becomes our labor of love. This is how we become a part of the earth's furthest dream, which is to make the world a better place for everyone. That is how we get connected to "life's inmost secret".
What we do with the "acorn" - or our God-given talent - is left entirely up to us. We have a choice. But how many of us blame our genes (family) or our environment (community, school, peers, work) if we are unable to nurture this talent? And why blame the Creator for our small share?
It's true, we may have fewer talents than others. I guess that's why they are smarter than us. But that does not make one a lesser mortal than the rest of humanity.
Let me digress.
Did you know that migrant Filipino nannies contribute as much as world leaders to the work of bringing about a culture of peace in this world? Yes! This is not the exclusive domain of NATO or APEC officials, or the UN bureaucrats who crack their heads in seemingly endless debate to untangle the intricate web of world issues. Back then, it was the cold war. Now, it is terrorism
Finally, Kahlil Gibran asks: Are you happy with your job? If not, you can do two things. You can either move on to another one where you feel you can truly develop your talent. Or you can change your attitude to what you are doing, by seeing your work as an important contribution to making the world a better place for everyone.
For in the end (i.e. when it's your turn at the pearly gates), you alone and no one else will be there to account for that "acorn" that was entrusted to you. The bigger the share, the greater the accounting.
Did your talent remain hidden? Or did it grow to become a giant oak tree? Has its branches nurtured birds in their nests? Has its shade sheltered the weary traveler on his journey? Do you think that your job is purposeful and meaningful? If the answer is yes, then your work has become a true expression of love for others (although I wouldn't mind taking money that goes with it). And ultimately, your work has bound yourself to your higher self, and to others, and to your God.
Cheers.
Tsinoy
Background music "Pumapatak na naman ang ulan" by Apo Hiking Society
Animations from the Animation Factory and Harry and Dorret Goodwin's Homepage
