W*OR*K
Not just a 4-letter word
Not just a 4-letter word
Dear Joseph,
You are growing up in a home where you see mom and dad go off to work every morning as I watched my father go to work every morning. This is a good thing. Sure, it means that mom and dad are earning money so that you all have a nice house and good food to eat. But there is more to all of this than meets the eye.
As did I, you will learn to have a work ethic. That is, you will come to understand that each of us is responsible for taking care of our needs. Since many of our needs require money, this means working for a living. Now, for many, working is not a pleasant thing. In fact, most men do not like their jobs and hate going to work. It is so bad for some of them that they get sick Sunday nights when they know that the weekend is ending and they need to get up in the morning to go to their jobs. This is not because work is a distasteful thing. They feel this way because they are doing the wrong work.
Remember last time how I talked to you about that drummer each of us marches to? I was referring to that little voice inside that tells us what is wrong and what is right for us to do. That voice comes from deep within, from our essence, and is referred to as our soul. Our soul is that part of us that knows best what we want, what we need and what we need to do; and what we need to do is referred to as our calling or our calling in life.
Papa believes that we are all here for a reason. We are who we are, we are born when we are born and we are in a place all for a reason. Our really big job in life is to find out what that reason is, to be aware of what we are meant to do while on this earth. Our job is to find and follow our callings.
It takes a while to hear that little voice and to know just what our callings are, but there are many clues given to us if we will just pay attention. For instance, what is fun for you to do? I know, at first it is playing and being with friends. But, even then, you will start to notice that you all play in different ways and like different games. Some kids are athletic, some like to draw while others sit and think a lot or stare at pretty scenes. These are all clues.
Unfortunately, when you get to school you will all be required to act somewhat alike and do similar things. There will be subjects in school and assignments that you will simply not like at all. That is fine. You will still have to do them, but in doing so you will have learned something about yourself, and that will be a clue to at least what your calling is not.
This may seem confusing and hard, but it will make more and more sense as you grow, learn and mature. It is important, Joseph, that you not get caught up in making money, getting promoted and acquiring a lot of material things just for the sake of fulfilling an image of what others think is a successful person. If it does not fulfill you on the inside and give you a sense of peace and knowledge that you are doing what you are meant to do, it is not worth the gold it provides.
We cannot deny our callings, and it is important to spend quiet time with yourself. That can be in the form of meditation, sitting in your room and just letting your mind wander or walking among nature while practicing awareness of the world around you. Eventually, if you are open and true to yourself, you will be aware of the voice within. You won't hear it with your ears, but you will sense it in your heart.
Finally, when this voice speaks to you, it will tell you something about your calling in life. Joseph, you may not understand or like what it is telling you, but if you spend time with it the message it has for you will resonate with your soul. Then, you will know what you are meant to do.
Scared? Don't be. You already understand more than most. Most men don't pay attention to what I've said. They refuse to hear the voices calling to their souls because they want money more than they want fulfillment. These men, Joseph, pay an awful price when they become old. They realize, only then, that they have money and no happiness. More than anything in this world, I want to see you realize your full potential, and I know that can only be done if you follow the calling of your soul. I bless you on this most sacred journey of life.
I love you, Joseph
Papa
You are growing up in a home where you see mom and dad go off to work every morning as I watched my father go to work every morning. This is a good thing. Sure, it means that mom and dad are earning money so that you all have a nice house and good food to eat. But there is more to all of this than meets the eye.
As did I, you will learn to have a work ethic. That is, you will come to understand that each of us is responsible for taking care of our needs. Since many of our needs require money, this means working for a living. Now, for many, working is not a pleasant thing. In fact, most men do not like their jobs and hate going to work. It is so bad for some of them that they get sick Sunday nights when they know that the weekend is ending and they need to get up in the morning to go to their jobs. This is not because work is a distasteful thing. They feel this way because they are doing the wrong work.
Remember last time how I talked to you about that drummer each of us marches to? I was referring to that little voice inside that tells us what is wrong and what is right for us to do. That voice comes from deep within, from our essence, and is referred to as our soul. Our soul is that part of us that knows best what we want, what we need and what we need to do; and what we need to do is referred to as our calling or our calling in life.
Papa believes that we are all here for a reason. We are who we are, we are born when we are born and we are in a place all for a reason. Our really big job in life is to find out what that reason is, to be aware of what we are meant to do while on this earth. Our job is to find and follow our callings.
It takes a while to hear that little voice and to know just what our callings are, but there are many clues given to us if we will just pay attention. For instance, what is fun for you to do? I know, at first it is playing and being with friends. But, even then, you will start to notice that you all play in different ways and like different games. Some kids are athletic, some like to draw while others sit and think a lot or stare at pretty scenes. These are all clues.
Unfortunately, when you get to school you will all be required to act somewhat alike and do similar things. There will be subjects in school and assignments that you will simply not like at all. That is fine. You will still have to do them, but in doing so you will have learned something about yourself, and that will be a clue to at least what your calling is not.
This may seem confusing and hard, but it will make more and more sense as you grow, learn and mature. It is important, Joseph, that you not get caught up in making money, getting promoted and acquiring a lot of material things just for the sake of fulfilling an image of what others think is a successful person. If it does not fulfill you on the inside and give you a sense of peace and knowledge that you are doing what you are meant to do, it is not worth the gold it provides.
We cannot deny our callings, and it is important to spend quiet time with yourself. That can be in the form of meditation, sitting in your room and just letting your mind wander or walking among nature while practicing awareness of the world around you. Eventually, if you are open and true to yourself, you will be aware of the voice within. You won't hear it with your ears, but you will sense it in your heart.
Finally, when this voice speaks to you, it will tell you something about your calling in life. Joseph, you may not understand or like what it is telling you, but if you spend time with it the message it has for you will resonate with your soul. Then, you will know what you are meant to do.
Scared? Don't be. You already understand more than most. Most men don't pay attention to what I've said. They refuse to hear the voices calling to their souls because they want money more than they want fulfillment. These men, Joseph, pay an awful price when they become old. They realize, only then, that they have money and no happiness. More than anything in this world, I want to see you realize your full potential, and I know that can only be done if you follow the calling of your soul. I bless you on this most sacred journey of life.
I love you, Joseph
Papa
