Competitiveness & Options - "Meditations For People Who..."

We are subtly and constantly given the message that we are what we produce. Rewards and recognition are attractive distractions from the heavy feelings that we might rather avoid. We were not created to work ourselves to death, we have learned to work ourselves to death but anything learned can be unlearned as this reading from "Meditations For People Who Do Too Much," reminds us.

Transcript

Meditations for people who do too much.

Competitiveness and options.

The only way we got any attention from our father was if we made straight A's.

He would give us three dollars.

You can bet I worked my tail off.

It wasn't the money either.

So the seeds of my workaholism were planted early.

From Mary.

How subtly we are given the message that we are what we produce.

Acceptance and approval were very important to us as children.

And we could get them by working our tails off.

Unfortunately,

No matter what we did or how well we did it,

It never seemed to be enough.

At least it did not really take care of that longing inside.

That sometimes so intense it hurts.

Getting rewards and recognition can take away the growing internal pain momentarily.

But it always comes back.

We can get our three dollar award as children.

Or we can get impressive salaries and positions as adults.

And somehow the emptiness inside just goes underground.

It does not disappear.

The seeds of our workaholism and busyness were indeed sown early.

We must,

However,

Remember that anything that has been learned can be unlearned.

We were not created to work ourselves to death.

We have learned to work ourselves to death.

I have options for my life.

And one option is to see options.

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The option to see options!