Day 5: Creating A Life Plan

Work is love made visible

And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste,

it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple 

and take alms of those who work with joy.

For if you bake bread with indifference, you make bitter bread

that feeds but half man's hunger.

And if you grudge the crushing of grapes,

your grudge distills a poison in the wine.

And if you sing though as angels, and love not singing,

you muffle man's ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.

All work is empty save when there is love;

and when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself,

and to one another, and to God.

                                          - Kahlil Gibran

It's been a few days but I'm back on the grind... creating a LIFE PLAN!  This book is just so on where I'm trying to go.  Although, I'm starting to think really for something like this should be given more than a day to work on certain topics.  I mean.. really.. am I suppose to create an entire LIFE plan in like a day or two?! This is like major boot camp.. lol.

The whole point of this chapter is to talk about how your work is only supposed to be one area of your life that you should have small deposits of success but not your entire life.  Your should plan your work around the type of life you want and not the other way around.  Few nuggets of knowledge from 48 Days To The Work You Love about three words that are often used interchangeably but shouldn't be......

• Vocation -- This word incorporates your calling, purpose, mission, and destiny.  
• "It's what you're doing in life that makes a difference and build meaning for you..."  
• "It suggests your LISTENING for something that's calling out to you-- something that is particular to you"

"Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen for that voice telling me who I am"  -Dan Miller  

• Career -- This word means to run or move at full speed, rush wildy.
• The books basically talks about how careers are simply a line of work and that various types of careers can support your calling. (Good to know right?!)

And last but not least (well maybe?).......

• Job -- Ones daily activities that produce income.

So I realized what I'm really need to figure out is what is my vocation.  What really calls out to me? It sounds like the other two will fall into place.  To paraphrase a quote the book:

"There is a Hebrew word, advoah, for which comes the words "work" and "worship". To the Hebrew man, his work is just as much an expression of worship as being in the synagogue."

I mean.. I'm trying to get there.  The bible does talk about doing everything unto the Lord and I can say with certainty I'm def not doing that at present.

I also need to work on not identifying my entire life with my career. I am bigger than my career!  I'm working to invest my time in things that incorporate my skills and abilities, personal tendencies, and values, dreams and passions.  I realize that until recently.. I really hadn't been pursuing those 3 key areas in almost anything I did.  

GOD is sure doing a work in me.. I just know it!  My prayer is to continue to be transformed.  So as I continue my search for a career that better suits me, I'm going to also work on balancing that with other areas of life that I've been neglecting (health being a serious one).