In his superb best selling book titled The Greatest Success in the World, Og Mandino wrote about the critical and life-long importance of work and labor. The book includes ten excellent and forever enduring Commandments of Success. The First Commandment of Success begins as follows:
“THOU MUST LABOR EACH DAY AS IF THY LIFE HUNG IN THE BALANCE. You were not created for a life of idleness. You cannot eat from sunrise to sunset or drink or play or make love. Work is not your enemy but your friend. If all manners of labor were forbidden to thee you would fall to your knees and beg an early death.”
I have found this truth to be highly relevant in my life. I have been blessed and do not need to “work” another day in my life. I tried traditional “retirement” for seven months; for me, it was not pretty and I was definitely not fulfilled or happy. So instead of staying retired, I started a couple new companies and several new projects. All are focused on serving others, particularly on helping others become more effective leaders and achieve greater success by more effectively pursuing and accomplishing their highest personal and professional priorities, dreams and goals.
I love my work. I have great passion for my work. I love to serve others and make positive contributions to the lives of those who also want to more effectively serve others.
I was not created for a life of idleness. I cannot eat from sunrise to sunset or drink or play or make love. Work is not my enemy but my friend. If all manners of labor were forbidden to me I would fall to my knees and beg an early death!
If this enduring, life-long truth is not reality in your life, you need to immediately find new work or drastically change your perspective. Reality is, a very large portion of your life is and will be spent “working.” I believe your work should:
- Be extremely important to you
- Be held in high esteem by you
- Be enthusiastically focused on serving others
- Be personally and professionally fun and challenging
- Allow you to grow and become the best that you can become
- Allow you to build the personal and professional legacy you desire
You must labor each day as if your life hung in the balance – because your happiness, your fulfillment, your joy or lack thereof, and your legacy hangs in the balance!
