I love seeing live speakers and interviews. There’s a presence and energy that is palpable, and both the speaker and the audience feel it. I got to watch two live interviews this weekend where wellness and podcast icon Rich Roll was the interviewee. I enjoy his messages because we have very similar beliefs and have come to many of the same conclusions on what it means to live a fulfilled life. That said, you can hear the same message told in 50 different ways, and the message can strike you differently every time. That’s why it’s vital to have unique voices. Sometimes I get imposter syndrome and think, “what I’m saying has been said and researched by many, many people.” Then I remember what I heard someone once say, “yes, but not everyone has heard it from YOU, and that might reach different people or land differently.” Even hearing Rich talk about subjects I’ve spent many hours thinking and writing about gave me new perspective.
If you follow any of my work, you may have heard me say, “the work is the reward,” or you may have read my post/podcast titled, “Are you afraid of hard work?” This weekend, I heard Rich Roll quote Charity Water’s Scott Morrison.
He said, “Don’t fear work without an end.”
I thought that was another eloquent way of saying the work is the reward. The statement “don’t fear work without an end” can be taken in several ways. We often look at work or goals as something to be completed, a finish line to get to, or a box to check off. Work is what makes up our day-to-day. Work can be what you do to make money. It can be your hobby or passion, or your relationship. Often, we perceive the word “work” with a negative lens. But work can be what gives our lives meaning. Work is our opportunity to exercise autonomy and mastery, our values, help others, help ourselves, and build purpose and confidence.
“Don’t fear work without end” also means contributing to challenges or practices that don’t have a finish line in sight. In Scott Morrison and CharityWater’s case, it’s the massive task of bringing clean and safe water to everyone on the planet. Facing our global climate change crisis, it could mean doing what you can every day of your life to lessen your footprint (if you’re curious, eating fewer animal products is likely the single most impactful thing you can do). If you’re dedicated to being someone who values fitness, that means moving your body for as many days as you can in your life. If you’re a parent, that might mean always being there for your children through every stage of life. The work never ends, and that’s not a bad thing.
There is meaning in work without an end. There is joy in the work. The work is our daily actions, and our daily actions make up part of our identity.
The work is the reward!
