A = personal joy
B = the work we do
C = sustainable fulfilment and contribution and an emanation of joy
I’ve heard it said that our ego/fear will tell us to put effort into work, and then we will reap the rewards. Our ego/fear will tell us that if we work hard for long enough we will achieve fulfilment and contentment. Our ego/fear suggests B = A + C.
I’ve also heard it said that our spirit/gut/intuition/core will tell us that if we connect to joy, care for ourselves like we are our own children, love and respect and cheer ourselves on, believe that no matter what we are magnificent beings, the right kind of opportunities come along, work or otherwise, and we will step boldly and confidently into fulfilment and contentment.
I like the latter route best. I know the latter route is true. But the society we live in seems to reiterate the former. I’ve spoken to, worked alongside and coached people who tell stories of burn out, depression and other health issues due to choosing the former route. It seems B does not = A + C, more like B equals more B, and more B and then X.
Putting everything into work, without doing the fundamental self-development, self-care, self-loving work beforehand, can only lead one way; a person with no cash flow problems but with very little by way of personal emotional wealth.
A fear of mine for many years has been that I end up homeless and rejected (aka losing all human connection with the people I love). This fear has driven me to take jobs… in order to pay the bills… in order to avoid rejection. More recently however, I am learning that perhaps the greatest threat to my connection with others is stepping into fear and doing things that don’t serve me.
When we listen to fear, and do things from that place that probably doesn’t serve us, all of our energy goes into surviving that. There’s then little else left by way of emotion to feed into the relationships that make us feel the safety and fulfilment we are searching for by working so hard in the first place.
So imagine this. Every morning ‘plugging in’ to joy, filling your body with joy and light and hope, and then spending the rest of the day alternating between emanating that joy out, and re-filling the joy. Doing little things that bring you happiness, prioritising that in order to maintain loving connections with those around you and to contribute fully and wholeheartedly to your work. The joy would build, the good work would build, the contribution would build, your self-esteem would build, hope would build, your connection with others would build.
A, then B = C. And C, after all, is what it’s all about.
