What kind of person are you?
Are you like most Americans who live to work or do you prefer to work to live?
This concept first hit me while I backpacked through Europe right after college. My friend and I met so many fellow travelers who had two months of vacation every year. They laughed in shock when we told them most Americans get two weeks of vacation every year.
“Your country lives to work, and we work to live.”
Such a difference. What a concept.
It made me start thinking about other areas of life.
My doctor is doing her 27th Marathon and will have completed her 7th Continent this month. Pretty incredible, right? She confided, “I run so I can eat.”
While I completely understand this idea, I asked her, “Don’t you get a rush from running, too?” “Yes, but that came AFTER my discipline of WHY I run.”
Does that idea work in all aspects of life? If we start something out of a NEED or better a CHOICE to start or COMMIT, will we get a taste of the Morselicious Frosting?
Refer to Commitment
Here are a few more areas to consider:
Do you live to work OR work to live?
Live to eat OR eat to live?
Run/walk to eat OR eat to run/walk?
OR, like the 7 Dwarves, teachers, coaches, cops…
do you whistle while you work or work while you whistle?
Confession: This Morselist can’t whistle, so singing is the preferred music of choice.
Please share what kind of walker/talker/ eater/runner/lifer you are or strive to be and remember this post: Do walk your walk or just talk the talk?
Looking forward to your thoughts and have a MORSELICIOUS day!
Work to live, or live to work…it’s whatever you make up your mind to do each morning. You can enjoy being a trash collector (and they get paid pretty good too, I hear) if that’s what your mindset is. Whatever you choose to do, find the good…it’s there!
Great post Mo! Although we’re passionate about what we do, we definitely work to live! But sometimes work does seem to take over life… 🙂 The balance is hard… 🙂
Great post! I can’t whistle either. lol!! But I love to sing.
Live to eat? or Eat to live?…hmmm… Well let’s just say I like a healthy balance and whatever the subconscious impetus – I’m in a good place. : )
Okay – I love this post, but I’m going to take a different path on the topic. I don’t love my stressful job, but I go to work every day to pay my mortgage (and eat). I do think it’s extremely important for everyone to have a hobby (i.e., I paint – the doctor runs, you sing, etc.). Unfortunately, the way the world is and with all of the home foreclosures and high unemployment rate, we all need to do whatever we need to do to survive. I wish we all loved our jobs, but it’s just not like that. So, for me (since I am the only person I can speak for), I tolerate my work and paint in an attempt to find some kind of balance. I hope that makes sense – and thank you for making me think this morning – it woke me up!
I used to be able to whistle, but I guess my whistler broke. Age . . . ugh!
I hear what you’re saying…reality bites and people need to take care of their responsibilities. I’m glad you’ve got painting…I get joy from dancing!
Thanks Mo–we all need to strive for some balance!
Wonderful post Maura, and so true! I think so many of us artists work to live. It’s why we take the most insane jobs and balance crazy schedules, just so we have the opportunity to do what we really love and as Thoreau put it “Suck the marrow out of life.” I know I do.
I can’t whistle either, never have been able to. But I’ll sing my little heart out!