Got you thinking, didn't I? Am I being sarcastic? Will this be a riff on the famous cookbook? And if it's work, how could it possibly be in the same phrase as "joy"?
I have done a bunch of jobs over the last few years, and a bunch more over the last twenty years. I have a family to support and run, so when I look for work, there are always considerations of salary and logistics. It's hard to get around that. So on some level, work is work--a way to make money and feel useful and fund the parts of life that simply need to be funded. Meaning that some things that I might like to do get tabled until that time in the future when I've won the lottery and paid off the mortgage and sent children through college.
But sometimes, opportunities come along that put the joy into the work. Whether it's a story that needs to be told, or a new skill that needs (and not just because it's marketable) to be learned, sometimes there are opportunities to step out of your comfort zone, while stepping into your spirit-lifting zone. You may always need work to feed your household. But at least sometimes, you need joyful work to feed your spirit.
It's not easy to find the time for both. And if a choice has to be made, it's usually the "feed the household" that wins. (What can I say? My family has a thing about eating.) But as I make my way through this Notwashedupyet world, I am finally opening my eyes wide enough to let in the joy. It feels good. And who knows? A little joy may end up leading me to some new kinds of work.
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