So, what if work felt like the love of your life could walk in at any moment?
How would it feel on the job then? How would you feel going to work everyday? Would it change much if anything in your workday now?
It’s an interesting concept and it’s what the great philosopher Marcus Aurelius suggests our working lives can feel like.
Let’s take a look at one of his many brilliant quotes…
“If you do the job in a principled way, with diligence, energy and patience, if you keep yourself free of distractions, and keep the spirit inside you undamaged, as if you might have to give it back at any moment—
If you can embrace this without fear or expectation—can find fulfillment in what you’re doing now, as Nature intended, and in superhuman truthfulness (every word, every utterance)—then your life will be happy.
No one can prevent that.”
- Marcus Aurelius
I find it fascinating that Aurelius often speaks like a preacher or leader in a spiritual community.
He often uses the term “Nature” with a capital “end “N” in a way that evokes allegiance with a Higher Power, the Divine… God.
He is also very clear about making distinctions between what is human and what comes from that “Nature” place.
For example, when he says, “keep the spirit inside you undamaged,—”
The use of the word “undamaged” suggests to me that Aurelius is saying we need to prevent self condemnation and self criticism from taking hold.
He then states, “as if you might have to give it back at any moment—”
That’s a stunning thought.
To live as if your spirit needs to be clean and ever ready to go back and have a meeting with the greatest love you can think of. Divine Love.
How would you prepare for a meeting like that?
How would it feel to live like that? Being ready to see that greatest love at any point in your working life?
That seems like a monumental shift in the attitude toward work, doesn’t it?
Then he says, “If you can embrace this without fear or expectation—can find fulfillment in what you’re doing now, as Nature intended, and in superhuman truthfulness (every word, every utterance)—then your life will be happy.”
Then Aurelius suggests we embrace that feeling of the possibility of meeting our greatest love at any moment during our working lives with no fear or expectation.
We’re supposed to just focus in the present and be honest and we will be happy.
In many ways, we’ve heard this a thousand times. Some version of this has been said and written about for decades.
It seems to be the “superhuman truthfulness (every word, every utterance)” that seems to be the real difficulty… but what if we did that?
What if we really tried to embody ‘superhuman truthfulness’? What would that be like?
Maybe that’s something to try, attempt and strive for?
Aurelius suggests we will be happy and that “…No one can prevent that.”
What if he’s right?
So, if no one can prevent it then I shall move forward in my work expecting the love of my life to walk in at any moment and then… see what happens.
If nothing else, I shall be happy.
Hhmmm.
