THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT WORK
written by Terry - October 30th, 2011 at 8:41 am
Volatire, the French philosopher, once stated: “Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice and need.”
- Boredom: Working in a dental office is the perfect cure for boredom. Every day, we see – and help – a different group of patients. When closing time arrives, we know that we have alleviated their pain and anxiety, sending them home healthier than when they walked in. As job descriptions go, that’s not a bad gig!
- Vice: Webster’s Dictionary offers a variety of definitions for “vice,” but the most applicable one, in this case, is “a habitual defect or shortcoming” – that lazy little fault that creeps over us when we have too much time on our hands. Sir Walter Scott summed it up neatly when he said, “Too much rest is rust.” Our work gives form and purpose to our days, preventing us from floating aimlessly on the river of life!
- Need: Those of us in the workforce trade hours of our time and skill in exchange for a paycheck, and then we use that paycheck to fund a wide array of lifestyle choices – the place where we live, the food that we eat, the clothes that we wear, the car that we drive… The list goes on and on.
Society is a giant, interlocking puzzle. We each give, we each take. And if we have a job that meets our material needs and also nourishes our personal needs – the need to learn, to grow, to be part of a team, and to help others lead happier, healthier lives – then we are fortunate indeed.
Thanks for the reminder, Volataire!
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