“I slept and
dreamt that life was Joy,
I woke and
found that life was Duty.
I acted, and
behold, I found that Duty is Joy”…
- Rabindranath Tagore. An Indian
poet from Calcutta.
I heard Earl
Nightingale quote this….
What does it
mean to me?
A lot of
people think that what they really want to do is sit and do nothing. I remember
my dad saying all he wanted to do was sit and listen to the clock tick. He
retired, sat and listened to the clock tick and essentially died not that long
afterward. All his life he served, then he stopped, then he died…
So, what is
Joy? I think Joy is that feeling you get when things have gone really well. In
all areas of your life.
My “take
away” from this is when you are progressively working toward your goal, no
matter what, that you will feel joy. It really does not matter what your goal
is, or where you are along that path.
Right now, I have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal that I work toward every
day. No matter how small a task I work on to get there, I find Joy in
performing that task.
Sometimes
Duty is helping someone else out. Sometimes duty is walking the dog. Sometimes
duty is making dinner. When I am lying in bed at night reflecting on my
gratitude, I often think about what gae me joy during the day. Often it is remembering those things I did to
help others.
I reflect on
my time in Cub and Boy Scouts. “Do my duty…” Life saving training, “whomsoever
you see in distress, recognize in him your fellow man.”
So what is my thought about this? Do unto others. Help. Don’t hinder. Be a guide, assistant, helper, seeker and you will find joy. Its easier than you think!
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