Dear Me:
Flee specious “requirements” in your life. Think about what is honestly mandatory, absolutely required for survival, health, sanity, legal purposes or whatever. Don’t be dragged into what other people say is right without considering whether it’s right for you and for the world as well, or influenced into doing and being things that have nothing to do with your own real values and needs. Decide what does make sense for your efforts, and do the work that it requires.
Especially, find the most palatable, preferably appealing, ways you can to accomplish those ends. If you’re to spend any of your time and labor and energies on doing Necessary stuff, you really ought to be doing it by the most pleasurable means possible. Life offers enough pokes in the eye that can’t be avoided, so why subject ourselves to any we can sidestep? Rather nicer to seek out the ways in which we can accomplish our goals, meet our needs, achieve the desired ends, by doing things we enjoy and surrounding ourselves with good people and environments. The more enjoyable the compulsory and obligatory parts of life are, the more quickly and happily we complete them. The more swiftly we cover those bases, the more time we have for doing and being the things we prefer and desire most. Follow the example of those greats whose accomplishments are or were shaped by both their pursuit of natural abilities and inclinations and their will to open new doors and find new loves. It’s my belief that work is one of the most egregious four-letter words ever invented, that minimizing the work I absolutely have to do in life and, further, converting any so-called work I can’t avoid doing into something I like doing anyway are highly honorable goals. Paradoxically, I suppose, that’s something I’m willing to work at constantly.
Love, your constant friend and co-worker, Myself
Art-Colored Glasses 
Amen sister!!!
Spoken like a true dog-after-my-own-heart!
…And don’t ever call me ‘lazy’ for streamlining the necessary chores to save steps…If the dishwasher can be emptied with a minimum of movement, then the dinner can begin all the sooner…
😀
As far as I’m concerned, the whole point of being a sentient creature is to make it easier to figure out how to be a somewhat more sedentary one, if I want. I’ll be right behind you in the buffet line, honey!
Imagine how pleasant the World would be if we all followed the sage advice in this post’s title. I wonder if Mankind will ever get there.
Well, if the rest are a tad behind us, that’s just more Parmigiano-Reggiano for us before they catch up, right?
OK, now that gave me a good chuckle! 🙂
Lovely thoughts this winter morning.. my tree is up, house decorated, and just deciding what to do with an entire day ahead of me.. music must get practiced (that is never work), dinner made (also not a chore)… and if I have a touch of work to do I’ll blast some great music and have my dog and husband as companions. I feel so fortunate:) to also be writing to you! I love those photos… do you pop in there for a beer often?
I love what YOU do!
Wish I *could* pop in at the Athenian frequently. It’s the bar in a great vintage seafood joint in the Pike Place [farmers’] Market back in Seattle, so now has to be on the occasional visit only. Dallas has its Gulf seafood artistry, but let’s face it, I do still get these cravings for sweet Dungeness crab and slabs of Alaskan halibut and wild king salmon . . . (all of which, coincidentally, go great with Northwest microbrews–or classic tap beers–as well as Washington Reislings and Chards and Pinot Noirs, if you happen to be in a nice seafood joint anywhere up there) . . . .
Very wise words.
Can’t claim to have invented this idea, to be sure, but I’m at least smart enough to try to apply it!
You mean like doing dishes and shovelling sh**. When I do these jobs, that I do not enjoy per se, my mind becomes strangely unfettered which is a nice thing. And I am with smidge, i love these images especially the first one.. c
The first shot is of a gorgeous vintage aircraft, representing one of those things I think shows a true craftsman’s (or team of craftsmen’s) joy in doing beautiful as well as useful work.
I know exactly what you mean about the unfettered workaday mind. My construction years were much more constructive in that sense than in the gifted craftsman’s sense–it’s where I plotted out my dreams for grad school. And while I only rarely shoveled *actual* sh** during that employment, my boss might say I produced plenty (I daren’t ask). I like to HOPE that I did more good than harm!!
–And I say ((((Amen!)))
Excellent letter to “You.” x
And thank you for the kind letter *from* You! I’m glad you like!!
“To thine own self be true”…
. . . and it must follow that thou wilt have a heck of a lot more fun! 😉
To the tune of “That’s Amore” – When you do what you love and love what you do, that’s retirement! 🙂
You heard him, everybody, now sing along!!!
Wonderful writing, I will say same, “Amen”… Thank you dear Kathryn, with my love, nia
Thank you, Nia my dear! Have a lovely week. 🙂
This is exactly how I decided to live my life after the birth of my daughter. I still do HAVE to work on things I would really would rather not, I’m getting through by being thankful to have a job. And knowing that I’m doing my hardest to work my way out. I want my children to enjoy their lives, so I feel like I should set a good example.
Thanks for the beautiful reminder of how we should ALL be living our lives! I’m pretty sure the world would be a much better place if we did.
Well, if both of us are on that trail, at least we’ll make a start of it! Your children are very lucky to have someone blazing the path for them.