My Pleasure

My interest in Labor Day surprises me. Gretchen Rubin’s idea for #happierlaborday got my attention (see yesterday’s post: All Work), and now I’m thinking about it so much, I feel like having an LD Party!

Labor Day constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. -U.S. Labor Dept.

I think we all contribute to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The miracle of our presence in this moment is contribution enough. (see post: Perfection)

Three things to consider this Labor Day Weekend:

1. Happier Labor Day (see yesterday’s post) – What can you do to make your work life happier?

2. Service – How does your work serve other people? How does your work serve you?

3. Gratitude – How are you served by other people’s work?

Today’s inspiration: Service & Gratitude

How to use it: Does your mindset change when you think of your work  as service? What energy do you hold around the word, service? Perhaps it makes you feel useful, like you are helping others. Perhaps it makes you feel used, like others are taking advantage of you. Perhaps both. Examine your work life from the perspective of service—to yourself and others. How are you helped by other people’s work? Does someone answer the phone at work? Is the cashier at the grocery store efficient and friendly? Is someone at the electric company making sure they do their part to keep the grid functioning? Even…is someone trying their best to convince you to buy their product?

Example: You get a pile of junk mail—coupons, advertisements, catalogs. You think, “What a waste of paper…How can I stop people from sending me this crap?…I don’t care that bananas are on sale.”

You could think…

• Why do I categorize these papers as junk? The weight of the paper? The writing? The visual layout? Because I don’t want what they’re selling me?
• Does anyone read this stuff?
• I wonder who wrote the descriptions. I wonder who took the pictures. I wonder if they like their jobs.
• I wonder how many people this company employs. I wonder if anyone will take advantage of this fabulous banana price.
• I’m glad humans invented recycling (as you throw it in the trash). I wonder what it’s like inside a recycling plant. I wonder what this paper will be next.

Look at each piece of paper from a new perspective. It all looks the same because we don’t pay attention. Someone imagined the concept. Someone created the copy. Someone took the pictures. Someone designed the layout. Someone printed it. Someone chopped down the tree that made the paper. Someone transported the tree to a mill. Someone figured out how to turn a tree into paper. Totally incredible, we people are.

Happy Labor Day Weekend! Celebrate the work you do and the work others do for you. Celebrate the fact that your presence in this moment is work enough!

Be inspired. Go forth. Create your day.

Post script:

Labor Day Party, aka LDP

Last

Day

Pants can be white

Is that still a thing? Business Insider thinks perhaps not. 

https://www.fishermanpantsaustralia.com.au/