Yesterday was a holiday, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at either my wife’s or my schedule. She had to work from dawn until mid-afternoon (and throughout the holiday weekend) preparing and serving a meal for about 170 people. I was home all day, but chose to work most of the hours between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. just for the psychological benefit of clearing out my work inbox and getting a lot of little things off my plate that had accumulated in recent weeks.
If Linda had the option of being home yesterday instead of working, our schedule might have been different. As it was, though, it felt good to be disciplined on a day I did not have to be. Except for regular breaks to check personal email and social media, to eat and to take the dog for a walk, I enjoyed working.
It’s interesting how choosing to work on a holiday brings with it a very different attitude than having to work on a holiday.
I love my work and I drift toward it even in times when I don’t have to do so. That can be a problem, of course, if I’m never able to turn it off or walk away from it for a while, but I’ve had enough time away in recent months to prove I can do that.
I’m in the very fortunate situation where work is fun. That is not a reality for everyone, so I know how fortunate I am in that regard. Taking it for granted would be a mistake.
Yesterday’s blog post was about finding your heart where your mind wanders. I guess a chunk of my heart is in my work.
Leap year lesson #142 is You are fortunate if you enjoy your work.
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