maybe what seems like it's in the way actually is the way part II - the why behind the what

cork ring by olive bites
When I sit down to do some kind of work (noun) and I feel a certain tightness in my chest or neck I know that I have taken all the fun out of this for myself and just left myself with the work part (verb).

Maybe because this particular thing was never something I really wanted to do in the first place or maybe I have done this particular thing a million times before or maybe it just seems thankless or unimportant or there is something else I would rather do - it doesn't really matter.

The tightness though - the indication that we have pulled away from our purpose, that we are tugging a little too tightly on that line that tethers us body to soul - does matter.

(this tightness is probably the very first indicator of the inflammation that leads to disease, too - we have literally outgrown ourselves; alot of new-age gobbledy goop is fast becoming new-age science)

This does not mean that I should stop doing what I am doing (although it might) - it does mean that I am focused on the what and not on the why.

Let's say I take a job at a grocery store stocking shelves - the what is that I am stacking cans on shelves - making sure the labels line up, making sure that things are in their proper places, making it easier for other people to find the things they are looking for. The "what" - the doing part - is important. These cans have to get on these shelves and someone's hands have to put them there.

But in another way the "what" is totally irrelevant because there are a million other things I could be doing. It's the why behind the what that really matters. It's the why behind the what that our soul cares about. The vibration of the why is what we line up with.

Our own perspective is the only one that matters here. What we do simply provides us with the means to be who we are. We are not our job; we are not our doing (we are a human-being after all) - our job; the doing, is just a vehicle through which we get to experience who we are.

If the stacking shelves is an underemployment situation for me and I am often annoyed by it (not good since I will focus on the annoyance and I will line up vibrationally with more and more things that annoy me) - I can move into a better vibration by allowing that I have created this place for myself as part of my spiritual journey. This work is simply a context to be who I am.

Who am I being when I take care of myself and other people by earning income? Who am I being when I help busy people find what they are looking for faster? What aspect of myself am I expressing when I pay my bills or buy someone a gift with money I have earned?

Look at what we are doing with our money - maybe this is who we are.

Next Up - maybe what seems like it's in the way actually is the way part III - growing where we are planted

2 comments

KJ said...

One of my very first jobs was bagging gorceries. I made a game of it- how neatly could I fit the contents into the bag, how fast could I pack, etc...

A hard learned lesson is the only person who is worth competing with is myself- I have to do better than I did the last time.

When things get repetative that gives you space to day-dream. One of the better things about bead weaving is that it keeps you busy, occupies a part of your brain, but gives you the space to dream and develop creatively in the background.

On a related note, exercise is something I never really enjoyed, However, walking to work was not "exercise" and it was an opportunity to notice the changes in season and put my mind at rest before walking in the front door of the office.

Catherine Ivins said...

I totally agree about the repetition- when I mall carts I spent the entire month of Sept cutting mats - it was like, cut, cut, cut, lift mat cutter, slide another one in - I think I could still do it just as fast from pure muscle memory because I made so many - I looked forward to Sept every year - it was peaceful and yes created the space to daydream - I would cut mats and go to my daughter's soccer games, cook dinner- that was about it - I still miss it ...