By Alexis Louise Reda
It seems that every day I ask myself this question on some level:
What is hard work?
🤔…
What IS it?
Why should anything be “hard” work?
Why “work”?
WHY?!
I believe in the concept of what I call “Construct”. We create Constructs every day: things and thoughts which we give an arbitrary yet specific meaning to – and I say arbitrary because in each our own realities, we can make anything mean whatever we want to us, even if it rubs against the majority’s typical associated meaning. But some Constructs are so instilled in us because they have been in our heritage for so long, that they are hard to rewire. They are hard to perceive in a different way to our personal liking, and so they influence our “default” perception, whenever we are less than fully aware. These Constructs have long been kept in circulation, regularly agreed upon by the masses of the “Collective” of people within which we live. They are being constantly reinforced, exemplifying a principle called “the majority rules.” “Hard work,” and even “work” alone, are one of these long-held, thus difficult-to-rewire Constructs. Being so, you will likely understand when I say that the cultural connotation of “hard work” is very rough and tough… but since “work” comprises so much of our day, I strongly believe it is counter-productive to hang onto this notion. In daily practice then, operating by the default implications of “hard work” imposes an overdose of restriction, and restriction destroys energy flow, destroying a person’s ability to “work hard” over time.
Counterintuitive? You might think so.
For those who don’t resonate with the “energy flow” idea, it makes no difference: you may liken it to the feeling of motivation or effortlessness instead while engaging in momentary tasks. At the end of the day, energy flow and effortless-output have the same effect – the same connotation – and each one of us generally prefers garnering this feeling of “effortless effort” as the fuel to propel us through our days in the most meaningful ways.
Meaningfulness – or purpose – after all, is the epitome of a great life. But then there’s this term, “hard work”, that gets thrown around in the mix, and in some way it clashes with the concept of meaningfulness or purpose, as if we may only assume those qualities if we act or “work” in a headstrong, or forceful, or “hard” way.
All my life I have been noted as a “hard worker”, as have many people… but I, for one, have been called a hard worker and in the meantime felt weak and/or burnt out. What’s more, I have grown to notice a stark difference in how I feel and what I accomplish when I approach my every action in one of two ways: 1) I may embody the Collective connotation of working hard (i.e., I force myself to perform the action of hard work as defined by the majority, applied to my momentary task); or 2) I may embody my values from a subjectively meaningful intention (i.e., I disregard the idea of performing the expected effort and opt for gently dialing in my focus for the sake of this action’s importance to me).
Ironically then, you will find that by taking approach #2, you and your action almost “by accident” fall into the defaulted definition of what it means to “work hard”! But you’ve not had your mind set from the onset of action to fit your efforts into that definition’s mould!
It’s amazing what perspective can do.
As you will find, the set-up (aka, the approach to the action – particularly the mental approach) determines the majority of your success in crafting the outcome or the inter-action (during action) feel of whatever it is you are doing. What I mean by this is the following: If I were to tackle a workout or project by compulsion or the feeling of someone else’s (even my own ego’s) taunting expectation upon me… How well would I perform? Firstly, there’s something to be said about scouting the enjoyment in the process involving necessary action steps defining the task. There consequently arises something to be said about the initial intention behind you doing that task. Is it just because whoever you deem an authority figure wants you to? Is it because you THINK this is what the “type of person you are (or want to become)” is “supposed” to do or “usually” approaches this type of task? There is always a hint of truth and worth in the default connotations and expectations… Yet, after a bit of marination, you may figure that there is no rule book for how you “should” get from step A to B and beyond. I challenge you to research some of your greatest influences (if you have any) and see if they all got from A to B in the same exact way. Spoilers!: It may be a similar way – because indeed, it’s logically smart to learn from the past “best” so that you don’t have to relive all of their inevitable mistakes – but it will never be the same story; because not any two people have the same million other facets required in Life as you. No one seems to consider this million other facets thing with as much weight as it merits!
Why?
Think: Is the action toward your “biggest goal” anywhere near 100% of your day’s actions? (That includes little necessities like the occasional cleaning, eating, drinking, caring for a pet or significant other, etc.)
Just some food for thought.
Anyways, I hope you were able to extract something from this blog, if at least just a refresher of something you already knew deep inside, or at most a totally refreshing outlook on how you may be thinking about what or how you exert yourself in your life.
And if you still doubt the accuracy of your life views, consider this: If believing strongly enough in an illusion renders your experience just as real as the arbitrary “truth”… then why does it matter whose “truth” you choose to live? One’s truth will always be another’s illusion – the point is that each is equally and only effective when fallen for.