You are right. Why does the conventional hard work gets the credit, while Story #2 call it pause or semi-sabbatical gets downplayed? We just have to look to nature to get some insights. Nature goes through the different seasons - There's spring sprouts so there's also autumn leave shedding. A season for renewal and for letting things go while we get ready for the next chapters. :)
I’m kind of alone on this hill, but I have personally benefitted from keeping the label of “work” to that constrained “for other people/for money” definition and “labor” for that other type of less tangible, still difficult activity and change and reflection you talk about. And I get very clear that the former isn’t “evil,” but should be subordinate and in service of the latter.
You are right. Why does the conventional hard work gets the credit, while Story #2 call it pause or semi-sabbatical gets downplayed? We just have to look to nature to get some insights. Nature goes through the different seasons - There's spring sprouts so there's also autumn leave shedding. A season for renewal and for letting things go while we get ready for the next chapters. :)
100% on point there. I've come to see most of these things as seasonal and evolving (e.g. hard work, ambition, productivity, purpose).
I’m kind of alone on this hill, but I have personally benefitted from keeping the label of “work” to that constrained “for other people/for money” definition and “labor” for that other type of less tangible, still difficult activity and change and reflection you talk about. And I get very clear that the former isn’t “evil,” but should be subordinate and in service of the latter.
That's a good way of looking at it. And another example of making the definitions your own!