Working to Live — or Living to Work?
My Labor Day Lesson for Happiness

On the first Monday in September Americans celebrate Labor Day, a tribute to the contribution workers have made to the prosperity and well-being of our country. For every major holiday, I offer my own metaphysical tribute to the holiday as it relates to prosperity consciousness. And I believe Labor Day has some wonderful lessons for happiness…especially because:

We were not given our unique talents and abilities
to earn a living. They were given to us to create a life.

I have profound appreciation for the men and women who have worked hard to build our country. At the same time, I believe that a majority of the world’s population work much harder than they have to. And that’s because most people have not discovered their unique talents and true place in life and are not engaged in work that they love to do.

One dictionary definition of labor is: physical or mental work, esp. of a hard or fatiguing kind; toil.

The dictionary tells us that work done for the sake of one’s own enjoyment or of benefit to others rather than for material or monetary reward is a labor of love. I ask…why shouldn’t our livelihoods be based on work done for our own enjoyment or for the benefit to others as well as for monetary reward?

So how do you find your labor of love?

Working to Live — or Living to Work?

Some time ago a businessman and I were discussing the concept of passive income and he quoted a famous guru who stated that if you make a lot of money but have to show up to work, then you’re still a slave.

I said that I didn’t necessarily agree with that. I’m all for creating passive income, don’t get me wrong. But when you are showing up to do the work that you love, you are certainly not a slave! Which brings to mind the subject of “working to live — or living to work,” which I believe is worth exploring…

I believe that each of us is given special talents and gifts and that it is up to us to discover those gifts and become aligned with our true purpose. When we find that purpose — our true “work” —we are in bliss and in love with it because we are doing what we were meant to do. It could be in business, in the arts or science, or even being a parent.

So, in essence, we are then living to work — to express our work, our purpose, our joy, our bliss. That is what I mean by living to work. And I believe there is a very good chance that when we are aligned with that work, we become a magnet to the material riches that the Universe has for us and we are open to the abundance that surrounds us.

I could never live a life doing nothing but traveling, vacationing, lunching, shopping at posh department stores or spending hours at a country club. I for one will always need to be expressing myself in some joy-filled work — my soul demands it. Just like my body needs to breathe.

A very clear picture comes to mind. There is a wonderful movie — Always — a Steven Spielberg film and remake of the original A Guy Named Joe. The original is about a woman whose fiance — a military pilot — “returns” after death to guide her to new love. In the modern version, the pilots are firefighters whose planes spray the forests to extinguish fires.

I saw a documentary about Spielberg filming the movie and in one segment he was lifted high in the sky in a crane to check out the scene and lay of the land. All around him were the blazing fires and I recall hoping they weren’t real trees but props and special effects. What struck me so intensely was when he took his eyes away from his camera, stood up, threw up his arms and yelled, “MY GOD, I LOVE THIS BUSINESS!”

That is living to work. Mr. Spielberg doesn’t have to do this for money. He has all the passive income in the world.

Now this subject surfaced because this businessman and I were discussing the potential for books and other information products to create passive income. Those are wonderful avenues for prosperity, but for me, they don’t take the place of showing up to communicate with my students and followers or exchanging prosperity energy in live interviews and programs.

This reminds me of another old adage out there — that “showing up is half the battle.” Passive income? Showing up? I say, why not have both? There are no limits in this abundant Universe.

Right Employment

If you are employed in a job and “working to live” in a position that is not aligned with your talents, your values or your passion, it is time to consider a change. Even if it’s an entry position, being immersed in work that you love will put the Universe on speed dial, move you up quickly and bring fulfillment to your life. Dr. David Viscott, renowned psychiatrist, bestselling author and media personality, once advised a radio caller in this matter. The woman was unhappy at her job; her passion was to be an artist. Viscott told her to find a job where she would be surrounded by what she loved, such as working in an art gallery. I thought this was excellent advice and in alignment with the laws — what we put our attention on, we attract.

What If I Don’t Know My Purpose?

If you don’t know what your right work is and are searching for direction, you are not alone. It’s likely that a majority of people have not discovered their purpose and I believe that is the primary reason for lack of fulfillment in life. Many are settling for less and working below their potential because of fear, financial insecurity and ignorance of the prosperity laws.

The intelligence within you knows exactly what work will bring you happiness and your alignment with Universal Intelligence will bring you to it.

The great teacher, Dr. Joseph Murphy, once gave me words to stir up the forces of “right direction” on my behalf. Here are two versions…

Infinite Intelligence reveals to me my true place in life, where I am doing what I love to do, divinely happy and divinely prospered.

Infinite Intelligence opens up a new door of expression for me, where I am doing what I love to do, divinely happy and divinely prospered.

Dr. Murphy liked to cover all bases, so at the end of those affirmations he added…

      I follow the lead that comes clearly into my conscious reasoning mind.

So you now know how I created two 20-year careers: Marilyn Jenett Locations, followed by Feel Free to Prosper.

— Marilyn