We sometimes do work, even physical work, that leaves us feeling energetic and satisfied, tired but happy. And other times, work leaves us feeling exhausted, depleted and dissatisfied.
Like making proposals, for me. How come I wondered? Work should be work, so why does some work need more effort and others or other times, less?
I think, we confuse Work and Effort. Some work takes more effort and some takes less. So clearly the two are different. We need to think about effort and work in terms of energy. In terms of expansion and contraction
Work is an expansion- we feel happy. Effort is a contraction because it contradicts, the law of Nature. In nature there is effortlessness. We don’t see a blade of grass stressing to grow. Or a flower sweating as it blooms from a tight bud. Or a squirrel complaining while gathering nuts. But they are all ‘working’
We, human beings have perhaps gloried Effort, with all kinds of sayings and quotes. And perhaps it’s a way to gift wrap Ego or a disguised control mechanism ?
If things come easy, meaning without effort they are valued less. We doubt the credibility, we say- No no, how can it be so easy.. something must be wrong.”. I feel quite sad that we have so deeply bought into the belief that ONLY if we struggle and expend energy we are worthy of the results. No wonder we don’t value the ways of Nature as much. Simplicity and easy as much. Play as much.
By this logic, with all the hard effort –we should have been happier – but we are not. Infact Effort and happiness seem inversely related.
We almost feel as if we are cheating if we accept appreciation when something happens without effort. I often hear …”But I didn’t do anything”, almost as an involuntary apology.
Yes, I think – But that took a lot. This doing nothing. It took faith surrender trust in the invisible. It took a lot more work to get out of the way.
Finding Ease and Still Working.
Perhaps we feel we don’t deserve it. Nothing comes easy, is what runs us. We have co-designed a society that now thrives on this belief. Late working hours, procrastination, time delays, and punishments for children – all because we need to see “Effort”.
Yesterday, was a classic example of this for me. Around afternoon, my laptop crashed. I found myself hitting the panic button. I tried to find out if I could rent and the surprising complex paper work it needed. My son joined in the effort. It was exhausting. I noticed I was getting frantic and tired and irritable.
In the middle of all this chaos my brother came for Rakhsha bandan and got me a Karaoke Set. I was thrilled but, was extremely distracted. He was excited that I try it out, and more for him than me, I did. I sang some Sufi songs I have been learning.
There was a sudden shift in my energy. I immediately calmed down considerably. I sing generally also, so this shift in energy was not about that. So what just happened I wondered.
The intriguing thing I noticed was, while I was singing some high pitched ‘difficult’ numbers; my voice was not straining all. There was NO effort and work was happening beautifully. I had the help of the ‘System, which amplified my voice, and the feedback reduced stress and effort on my system.” – Wow.
I suddenly thought about my 3 hours of effort and my energy depletion and no result. My system was stressed because I had not taken the support of THE system.
Definition of ‘Work’, in physics is energy applied in the direction of the motion. It is called positive Work. But when energy is applied in the opposite direction, it is effort, negative work.
Perhaps I was doing it wrong? I was applying force in the opposite direction? I was not surrendering. Not having faith. “Why did I have to do Everything –I asked out loud”. Phew!! Just this realizing shifted something. As if everything was suddenly clear. I now had help.
So, I decided to act on this insight. I decided to do some ‘Positive work’. I wrote on Facebook, asking for a laptop. I must quickly add, this is not “habitual” behavior for me. But what the heck. And sure enough within an hour 4 people had offered, and I closed on the one closest. Done.
Quick Simple Easy. The way of the universe
The work was done. Effort saved, Money saved other admin hassles saved. Universe works in such elegant energy optimization mode. I am totally impressed.
This entire episode made me wonder about our relationship and belief about Effort and Work. And whether we think of them the same. Do we think if we are putting in more effort it means we are doing more work.?
Why? And is it true?
In my experience it is not true, if I look honestly and closely. My ego wont like it but still.
This has clearly shown that, when My system in not in tune with The system – Effort is more and work is less. Because I don’t get support from the invisible side. But when I am in tune, it’s the opposite.
This sounds counter intuitive then that we would still choose more effort.
Some of my friends, sometimes ask me – When do you get the time and energy to do ALL this. I have never been able to really answer that, but now I can.
I feel – if only, like the grass or the turtle if we mimic nature, we would, just operate in an effortless way. Which is NOT the same as being lazy.
This notion of More Effort equals more Work is perhaps a way in which we were controlled. That way, we could not have the time or energy to think, to imagine, to ponder, to create, to contemplate? – because if we did, we would question – And that was of course not ok. Very soon shame and guilt got attached to less effort.
Our freedom has been systematically ironed out by rewarding Effort and Not work. Stress and not ease. Complex not simple..
We are paying a price with physical and mental health. With a No time syndrome, Relationships, sense of worth, less creativity and joy. Loss of balance between work and play, less connection with nature, inside and out. It understandable because we has only so much of energy. It is true. But it is akin to saying I can’t process or know, because my laptop has only this much data or bandwidth.
All we need to then do is “login” to The System.
So what does it mean to do work with out effort. To login. In really simple terms it means to Clearly make the Ask. Ask for what you want. That, can be real hard work though. Really knowing what we want. And then – Let the universe decide the How. We often get into micro managing the how, and get in the way. If we knew how, or if our version of how was the right one, we would have gotten it already. Duh!!
We are funny. It like I have seen some people, get a driver, sit back and still drive and stress. And pay the driver. When we take a step in the direction of the universe – The universe also takes a step. Except our foot sizes are different.
It stands to reason, the Invisible universe runs our body mind anyway – So then why not trust it to do other things.
Perhaps we do the Work of Tuning in, of knowing what we really want. Maybe we need to redefine easy and stress. And Be willing to enjoy less effort. Be willing to share the credit with the universe.
Just – Be wiling to let go of the How and When. Just focus on What and Why.
Perhaps we can still be a more creative joyful society like the plants and the animals –More work and More play are not opposites. Ease IS the Way. Like breath.
Perhaps we Rebrand Effort. Just watching the small plant in my window, or the ceaseless sound of the squirrel and the noisy flutter of the sparrow – reminds me – I am in a system where work is steadily silently happily happening, in a sehej easeful way. We pay a high price being humans.
I am reminded of one of my all time favourite poem..
Leisure (W.H Davis)
WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
4 Comments