I can't accept the fact that I have to work in life, how can I change this?

[Rebec]

I have a 'SD green' job (I know this because Leo has mentioned it in his SD Green video), which is great for now, I love my dynamic workplace. Yet I don't understand why I can't accept the fact that I have to work in life? Whether I am working here, or somewhere else or start my company, just the fact that I need to work my whole life. 

Is this part of stage Green questioning? 

Are there more people struggling with this question? 

And what is the answer? (In case you point to my life purpose; Yes, my life purpose is very close to the work I am currently doing, so no point in changing that at this moment.)

I can't accept the fact that I have to work in life, how can I change this?

 

[PlayOnWords]

Also frustrated with this 

[Meditationdude]

@Rebec if you weren’t working what would you be doing?
 

[Leeeon]

Try to look at your work as play.

Alan Watts has a good.. "Lecture" about this:

 And also maybe  stop doing the things that you dont really HAVE to do.   The Things that you only do out of obligation.   And be more guided by the things that want to do most in your Work(, if that is possible to do in your Job).

Edited September 24, 2019 by Leeeon

[ivory]

You're facing a very deep existential dilemma. I have been through this. Ultimately, acceptance is the answer. You have to work. Look at the animals, they are working all the time: hunting, gathering, etc. Work is a basic fact of life. I remember watching a documentary a while back about people who moved to Alaska to escape the system and live off the land. Even though they were "free" they were working all the time: Hunting, gathering, building and maintaining their homes, etc.

I learned to accept this over time. But, I had to get really clear about what it was that I didn't like about work. I managed to ease the pain by taking on a part time job and reducing my spending. I work 25-30 hours a week. If possible I plan to keep doing this. However, one of the things I discovered about myself was that I am really lazy and am quite averse to challenges. I used to believe that life should be easy. The fact is, life is really hard. I was way off base in my thinking beforehand. I have to push back on my laziness all the time. I do so by having a strict morning routine, meditating, and exercising. This makes me strong enough to deal with the challenges I face at work.

It's also important to have balance. Friends, hobbies, exercise, adventure, romance, etc. Stay engaged and do things that are important to you outside of work so you aren't stuck in a negative headspace.

My recommendation would be to get clear on all the things you don't like about work, and why it's a problem for you to do these things the rest of your life. If you already have a job that's aligned with your life purpose you are ahead of the curve. Now you just have to find a way to ease the pain.

Edited September 24, 2019 by ivory

[Leo Gura]

You're thinking about work all wrong.

Rather than seeing is as something you have to do, find a way to make it something you love to do.

In general, don't do things because you have to, do them because you want to.

This means being proactive about your work. It's not really work then, it's creativity. Don't you want to be creative? Why not? You are God after all! You created the whole universe and creation is a beautiful and exciting process.

You're disconnected from your creativity. That's your problem. Find a way to reconnect and this issue about work will dissolve. Then your problem will be that you work too hard!

Your work needs to be the most meaningful thing in the world to you.

You have yet to realize the significance of life purpose. You know it only as an intellectual abstraction, not a tangible burning passion.

[Leeeon]

26 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

 

Your work needs to be the most meaningful thing in the world to you.

I dont think that's a necessity for a lot of people.

especially if they Value deep relationships whith other poeple, which can be very time consuming.

[Leo Gura]

12 minutes ago, Leeeon said:

I dont think that's a necessity for a lot of people.

especially if they Value deep relationships whith other poeple, which can be very time consuming.

I meant, it needs to be the most meaningful thing out of the things you could be working on.

Unless you are a billionaire, you don't have a choice in life. You will have to work to make money. The only question is, will you work on things you find most meaningful or not?

Even if you value deep relationships, you'll still have to work. Because work IS survival. You cannot be alive and avoid survival. The only question is, what will be the quality of your survival? Are you gonna be scamming old ladies out of their life savings, are you gonna be selling poison at McDonald's, or are you gonna do something meaningful for the world?

Up to you.

Don't be surprised if you hate your life when you sell poison at McDonald's for 8 hours every day. You should hate your life at that point because what you're doing is so stupid. That hate is a message that God is sending you. God is telling you, "Why you being so stupid when you could be doing something so much more amazing with your life?"

Living life in stupid ways leads to lots of suffering.

[mandyjw]

Check out Mr. Money Mustache.

I  prefer the "do what you love" or find a way to love what you do approach, but the truth is most of us waste most of our money because everyone around us does the same. We don't think through our priorities in life properly and can retire much earlier than we would think. 

He's quite ranty and hardcore stage green but I've learned a lot from his blog. 

[Leeeon]

 

11 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

I meant, it needs to be the most meaningful thing out of the things you could be working on.

Unless you are a billionaire, you don't have a choice in life. You will have to work to make money. The only question is, will you working on things you find most meaningful or not?

Even if you value deep relationships, you'll still have to work. Because work IS survival. You cannot be alive and avoid survival.

I agree, but i think the first thing to do for Rebec is to get comfortable with the Job he/she's doing right now, if he/she can't do that the hurdle of making a Career out of his/her "most meaningful thing" is much bigger. 

Edited September 24, 2019 by Leeeon

[TalkIsCheap1]

Well, I don't work. But in some circumstances working is necessary. 

Working could also be a progression with what you want to help, so you sometimes also work for other. 

You don't say that much about it. You could also move to a Forrest, and be Wildman... 

[Leeeon]

@mandyjw

1 hour ago, mandyjw said:

Check out Mr. Money Mustache.

I  prefer the "do what you love" or find a way to love what you do approach, but the truth is most of us waste most of our money because everyone around us does the same. We don't think through our priorities in life properly and can retire much earlier than we would think. 

He's quite ranty and hardcore stage green but I've learned a lot from his blog. 

I agree that he shares his insights that he got from beeing in stage green very harshley sometimes, but i think that it IS very important to think about how your Career affectes others.

[Haloman]

7 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

"Why you being so stupid when you could be doing something so much more amazing with your life?"

And who will clean up public toilets when everybody listens to God? When your greenish ideals come true and equality reaches new levels so there are no rich or poor people and it's your turn to go clean up public toilet - then i doubt that you will think yourself as stupid.

 

[Leo Gura]

@Haloman Cleaning a toilet as an enlightened being is a very different thing from cleaning toilets the usual way.

[Michael569]

10 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

You're disconnected from your creativity. That's your problem. Find a way to reconnect and this issue about work will dissolve. Then your problem will be that you work too hard!

How does one get back in touch with this? I feel I lost my creative touch in years of corporate work. 

[Leo Gura]

23 minutes ago, Michael569 said:

How does one get back in touch with this? I feel I lost my creative touch in years of corporate work. 

Just start being creative again.

As always, psychedelics help.

Solo retreats are also great for super-charging creativity.

And just imbibing more art and source material that inspires you.

Travel is also good.

[Rebec]

@Meditationdude If I don't work, I will put my energy in learning Photoshop or something other creative thing. I like to learn new skills. But that is the next problem, I like a lot of creative things, but if I see it as a job it doesn't feel creative anymore. It feels like I need to adjust to a certain degree to our society. 

@ivory Thank you for your recommendation

22 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Rather as something you have to do, find a way to make it something you love to do.

I did this. I have followed my bliss. But every job has a part which is less enjoyable. And that part you can't escape. There is no way I could fall in love with that.

22 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

You're disconnected from your creativity. That's your problem. Find a way to reconnect and this issue about work will dissolve. Then your problem will be that you work too hard!

Uhh... I don't know about this, I have a very creative job. I really enjoy this part of my job. How can one work to hard? Isn't life to be enjoyed in contemplating, walking, meditating, connections in stead of work? I only work part-time because I don't really see the point of 'all of us in the world' working so hard for no reason.

22 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

You have yet to realize the significance of life purpose. You know it only as an intellectual abstraction, not a tangible burning passion.

Yes, great point. Working on it, but this takes years of work. I can't rush this process.

21 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Because work IS survival. You cannot be alive and avoid survival.

 Is it? Really? I know I need to work for basic survival (you need to shower to be clean enough for no infections). But all the excess? Why the hell should we all want to work 40+ hours a week? 

@mandyjw  I will, thank you!

Thanks to all of you, for taking the time to respond to my post. I really appreciate it!

[Truth Addict]

On 24/09/2019 at 11:04 PM, Rebec said:

I can't accept the fact that I have to work in life, how can I change this?

Go live among poor people, and I mean really, really poor people. Maybe you will be able to take it, maybe not.

[Leo Gura]

8 hours ago, Rebec said:

Why the hell should we all want to work 40+ hours a week?

If you want it, then it's not a should.

In the end, do WTF you want. I don't care. I'm just giving suggestions.

[electroBeam]

52 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

If you want it, then it's not a should.

In the end, do WTF you want. I don't care. I'm just giving suggestions.

But if you can't find any work you love, you're next best bet is to make a million dollar startup, retire then seek all day.