Work Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
August 21, 2009 by Aurelia Flores
Filed under Education
When we think of “work,” we may think of a job, or we may believe it has to be hard. But look at the definition again – work is…activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something.
As Latinas, growing up, we may have seen people around us (such as our family) doing work they did not enjoy because they had to. Matter of fact, we may have been directly taught that work was something unpleasant and unenjoyable, but just something that one had to do.
But we have the ability (and the blessing!) to be able to choose what we do, how we spend our time and where we put our energy. This goes not just for how we support ourselves and put food on the table, but also for our other “work” endeavors.
Remember when I interviewed Norma Elia Cantú (Professor of English at UT-San Antonio), she shared with us that her father never really understood what she did for work. He was amazed that she got paid for reading and writing and talking to people about it.
When I was still in school, I remember someone said to me, find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life… So it’s a bit of surprise when someone puts it like that (but I understood what she meant).
Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that “work” is always playful and a celebration. There’s no way around hard work, but it doesn’t have to be drudgery.
So YES! Do the work. There will always be things that have to get done, and they may not all be things that are the most interesting or exciting. However, for the most part, we get to choose how we spend the majority of our time, and this is amazing.
In short: Work can be painful and difficult, or it can be joyful and life-affirming.
Which is it for you? Rocio Cordoba (Executive Director of California Latinas for Reproductive Justice) said when you are doing something you are passionate about doing, work transcends from labor into a joy in making a difference.
What do you do call “trabajo”? What did you learn from your family? How do you approach work today, and what do you teach younger people who look up to you?
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Carlos Nevarez on Fri, 21st Aug 2009 2:10 pm
But just between us girls
— there is some advantage to being able to separate what we truly enjoy from our “work”. That’s easier to do when we can differentiate between how we earn a living from the rest of our endeavors. A good friend of mine once gave me wise counsel, he said “never turn what you truly enjoy into your job.”
Semantic nitpick, job versus work, and yet a very significant one. I love getting up early in the morning and working hard on my exercise; there’s nothing quite as satisfying and clarifying as focused exertion. Gripping my handle bars as we make our way up a steep mountain, my 15 yr. old and I can tell you there’s lots of work involved — and according to my 19 yr. old daughter “really stupid results.” Yet it’s the enjoyment of the moment, the feeling of accomplishment that comes from going beyond.
Perhaps that’s what keeps my work “fun”, regardless of the circumstance, it’s the feeling of accomplishment — of knowing that I gave it my best, and that I did not stop at previous limits — that through my hard work I came out a better person.
Leticia Lara on Fri, 21st Aug 2009 4:02 pm
Dear Aurelia:
Thank you for the reminder about the meaning of work, and its relationship to defining who we are, and who we are not. Cheers to the Latinas who have successfully aligned their personal vision with their work, and their life journey. Combining personal passion and vision to our day-to-day “work” helps to enhance our sense of leadership, energy, and empowerment. Let’s honor and celebrate our unique gifts that we, as Latinas, bring to our work. Leticia