Work is Love, by Tatiana – In The Mix #29

August 27, 2009 Tatiana EL-Khouri 1 Comment

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.
– Kahlil Gibran

I’ve always been intrigued with the research process and discovery. When my attention focuses in one an oddity, new concept, or intriguing thought, I get consumed with the learning process and the quest to learn everything there is to know on the subject. To those who take a more carefree approach to passing interest, my inquisitive nature often makes me come off as a huge workaholic. Granted I work a lot, but I don’t think you can really call what I do work. 

During my high school years in Catholic school the biggest life lessons I learned were not in the from the traditional religion classes that focus on the Catholic doctrine, but from my Mysticism and Existentialism class. 

Two of the things lessons that stuck out with me has shaped a lot of who I’ve become.

• Lesson 1: Childlike Playfulness. 

How many times have you seen a child fall down hard during fun game and get right back up to continue the fun as if nothing happened? During a mediation exercise we learned about channeling into childlike playfulness during and everyday life. In essence I learned the importance of staying lighthearted and carefree during times of stress like children do. 

• Lesson 2: Meaning of life lies within. 

“We can discover this meaning in life in three different ways: (1) by creating a work or doing a deed; (2) by experiencing a something or encountering someone; and (3) by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering.” Viktor Frankl: Man’s Search for Meaning, 1956.

Among the things I learned, I began to find joy and pride in the work I did. Marrying my joie de vivre and loves, makes any work and tribulations I encounter a lot easier to handle.