To Jyoti on Work, work!

[Guest guest]

Dear Jyoti,

 

Maybe you are too young to remember ... I hardly remember myself, but

when I was young there was a tv sitcom where everytime one character

heard the word, "work," as in job, he would exclaim: Work? Work! It

was funny at the time. What you wrote below touched me deeply because

I had the same problem, and I rarely write much in these posts, but

this is an exception because my own situation has been so similar in

so many different ways.

At the same time attachment towards work also brings pain. Especially

when dealing with human beings, work politics is a natural byproduct.

I often find myself incapable of indulging in politics, which would be

a major minus if I want to grow.

For over 20 years,I worked in the DC area in the nonprofit sector for

causes I felt deeply about, so I was definitely not detached. Because

I felt so much, I worked hard ... throughout the years I advanced in

my field from an administrative assistant to a program director to,

in my last job, the executive director of the nonprofit. The politics

involved almost killed me. I became very ill, had to leave my job, and

haven't been able to work since. There were politics with a particular

person that were very hard ... she used the concentration camp model

of praise/attack. Since I grew up that way I was very vulnerable.

 

I have no great words of wisdom, only my own example of being too

attached. I am still too attached ... now it is to my relationship

with my husband, and it gets me into trouble because I end of feeling

badly about myself. I think if you end up feeling badly about

yourself, that is a sign of too much attachment. So like Steve said

in his post, to want nonattachment is actually a good kind of

selfishness.

 

Working is not a bad thing; nor is advancing in your career or caring

about it. At least that is my humble opinion. And even though I was

not able to do it, I believe it can be done because I have done it in

other areas of my life ... you can be engaged in a process, whether it

is work, or doing art, or singing, or doing sadhana ... and be

attached or not attached. But I am sure that being not attached does

not mean not caring. Swami and Maa are two of the most passionate

people I have met, and that is true of other avatars I have met as

well. Perhaps it is a passionate kind of letting go.

 

Here is the one example I can give from my own life. I am a

singer/songwriter and have performed all my life. In the early days,

I was so attached that I used to get sick before every performance.

But I kept at it because I had a passion to share my music with

others. I got a bit better, but I would still get upset if the

audience didn't respond the way I thought they should, which meant,

at the time, the way I respond to music. If I looked around and saw

people tapping their hands, or smiling, or nodding their heads, or

crying, I knew they were "plugged in" and were getting it. But what

of the people who just sat there like logs. I thought they didn't

like my music. I would get very upset. Yet, often, after I was

singing, some of these very people would come up to me and say how

much they liked my songs and singing. What I learned was to allow the

audience(s) to be who they were, to respond as they were want, and not

to judge them. This totally freed up my singing. I was able to put

more of myself out there, so to speak, be more involved, but not

attached. I hope this makes sense to you. Jai Maa ~ Linda

[Guest guest]

oh, i remember! it was 'maynard' on the dobie gillis show. :-)

Be Love,

Berijoy

http://www.egyirba.net

--------------

nierika (AT) aol (DOT) com

Sun, Sep-5-2004 7:08 AM

Re: To Jyoti on Work, work!

Dear Jyoti,

Maybe you are too young to remember ... I hardly remember myself, but

when I was young there was a tv sitcom where everytime one character

heard the word, "work," as in job, he would exclaim: Work? Work! It

was funny at the time.