"Somewhere among our best times is a lost day. It was not lost all at once but minute by minute. We take care to keep out the bigger drain on our time, and let the little irritations, the times of melancholy and doubt steal our common sense and ruin the day."
In A.A. speak: Don't let the small shit bother you. And it's all small shit.
"Doing your best is taking the action because you love it, not because you're expecting a reward. If you take action just for the sake of doing it, without expecting a reward, you will find that you enjoy every action you to. Rewards will come, but you are not attached to the reward."
I sort of get this, kind of, when we're referencing gainful employment. I enjoyed the work I did much of the time and sometimes I didn't. I had bills to pay and instead of pursuing what I love or want to do . . . well, yeah, I had bills to pay. But the sentiment is strong and healthy, worthy as hell. I wanted to be a rock star or a second baseman, not a salesguy hawking process control instrumentation. When I was walking around on the production floor of a manufacturing plant my main goal wasn't to sell anything but instead just not tumble into a piece of machinery that was hot or moving fast or full of sharp edges or all three at once. I ruined some shoes and some shirts but I still have all my fingers. I think. Let me check. I did find that if I really, honestly tried to solve a problem for a client and in a way that met their budget and didn't cost more than they needed to spend then I felt good about myself, made a little scratch come commission time. I actually found that my sales numbers went up because people who aren't getting hustled relax and buy what they want which is almost always more than they need.
It's in my personal relationships that this approach to life really pays off emotionally and spiritually. If everything I do is a quid pro quo then my life is reduced to a business transaction. I give only if I get is a shit-ass way to live.
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