I think the only reason I remembered it was the guy’s name
is Stud.
In his
book, Working, Studs Terkel pens this:
“Work is about the search for daily meaning as
well as daily bread; for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather
than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday
sort of dying. Perhaps immortality, too, it a part of that quest” –Studs
Terkel.
I catch
myself often just going through the motions of a day. Work, school, eating,
sleeping, whatever it is, I think we get into a rhythm and lose part of the
vision of what it all is for.
Now, whether
you’re religious or not, I think the last line of the quote is the kicker. It’s
either immortality with God and happiness, if you’re not religious, immortality
in the minds of those who come after us. What is our legacy? What is our
purpose? Specifically what is your purpose for being here and now and then what
will your legacy be?
Work is
what we do, the ideas we create, the life we live. If you go through your own
life, maybe you find that it is similar to some instances in mine. The same,
repetition, up, eat, work, sleep, repeat. But isn’t that what Studs is talking
about? We are in search for astonishment rather than torpor.
We search
for meaning, as well as what keeps us alive. We search for recognition just the
same, if not more, than we do cash.
So rather
than living a Monday through Friday sort of dying, seek out purpose and
astonishment and meaning. You can do this without changing jobs, moving cities,
really the only thing you have to change is your outlook.
Each day
have this goal, either to write in a journal and have something extraordinary
happen, or to do something sporadic and random. Call up a friend, spend time
with the people you love. Overall, seek out activities that will help you feel
alive.
And a small
secret: the more we search daily for meaning, the more we will find. And,
perhaps immortality, too, comes with a simple daily meaning.
@kenttbates
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