Worth Doing

"If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart."

The plaque on my wall attributes this quote to Buddha. I ran a quick google search and, indeed, found several references to this being a quote by Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism sometime around 500 BC. I don't agree with the sentiment nor am I sure it is always possible or plausible to expect that anything (read: everything) worth doing should be pursued wholeheartedly.

There is much that is required of each of us that we may not want to do but we have to because we are responsible adults that contribute to society for its betterment and for the wellness of our families, friends, and loved ones. Is it realistic to say that everything (read: anything) that we do must be practiced with our heart, mind and soul wholly in unison and be happy about it? I wish I didn't disagree but I do.

There are some things in this life that we just have to endure in order to make it through to the other side, to the next day, week, month, pay period. They probably aren't the easy nor preferable tasks but they are necessary. Should these necessaries be set aside if we aren't in the proper mindset to give our whole heart to the effort or do we press on, enduring to the end? What is the right course?

I am of the understanding that getting things done just has to be done and should actually take precedence over "my heart being in it." I may be wrong but I don't think my kids care if my heart is in their clothes being clean or not, they just would like and need clean P.E. clothes on Monday morning. I really don't think I can go to my boss and say, "I'm sorry, my heart just isn't in the project we were scheduled to complete today. Maybe it will be here tomorrow."

One of my mentors used to try on a consistent basis to change his attitude and desires by saying, "I get to make dinner tonight" or "I get to do the shopping this week" instead of "I have to do this... or that..." As much, as he tried, I don't think it really worked because in the back of his mind, he knew those responsibilities weren't really his desires. They were needs that he had to meet for someone else, not himself.

I don't think there is anything wrong with having to complete an assignment or needing to do a chore. Life and work are not always about choice or desire. Most of it is about duty, honor, and fulfilling a need. And that's alright. What is important is whether or not you can distinguish a need from a want and then getting that distinction right.

If anything is worth doing, do it.

© by rayannethorn

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Brian Meeks on January 11, 2010 at 11:21am

Sometimes we all need a kick in the pants and I have to agree, as would Nike...'do it!' Ok, back to work.

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Permalink Reply by Randy Levinson on January 11, 2010 at 1:31pm

Rayanne, thanks for calling this one on the carpet. In the life of the Buddha, while he did have a lot of responsibilities to live up to, I imagine he had to pay less bills, do less shopping, and take the kids to fewer activities than many of us do. So in his day, perhaps living the life he led, this was an achievable philosophy. But you are right; while it is worth it to pay all the bills to keep the lights on, etc. I am surely not paying those bills with the enthusiasm I associate when doing something with my whole heart. Perhaps a better aphorism for our time would be, "It is worth doing what you need to do so that you may pursue what you really want to do with your whole heart."

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Permalink Reply by Randy Levinson on January 12, 2010 at 5:42pm

go for it!

Rayanne said:

"It is worth doing what you need to do so that you may pursue what you really want to do with your whole heart." I like it, Randy..., ok if I use it?

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Permalink Reply by Heidi on January 13, 2010 at 11:07am

Rayanne:

I always enjoy reading your post however, I found this one challenging because I am not sure I understand where you are coming from but as always, I appreciate your insight. Here are my thoughts on this topic:

There are certain things we may not want to do but, at the core at what allows us to succeed and drives us, is our attitude. In other words when we have the "right" attitude, we face duties, tasks or challenges completely different than if we had a negative perspective. Hence when we align ourselves with negativity, fear or insecurity... it becomes difficult if not impossible to put our heart into achieving our goals...

However, having the right attitdude allows us to grow because we enable ourselves to see life from different angles. People who stay fixated on one way cheat themselves from elevation and eventually become stuck in their ways.

Ultimately, I believe when we get to a place where we can "just do it" (especially those task where we felt it was impossible to achieve- yes for some even folding clothes or exercise) we have gotten to a place where we see value in our efforts... which then gives us the drive and energy to move forward....

Case in point for simplicity purposes.. think about exercise, if you're negative about it, it's harder to do but when you see the value in it, you are more driven to perform.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Meeks on January 13, 2010 at 4:25pm

Great reply Heidi.

A few years ago I was exercising 5 or 6 days a week. After the first couple of weeks it was no longer a chore, but a joy. Overtime I got distracted and it took me a couple of years to 'Do it' again. Now I have exercised everyday since Dec 23 aught Nine. (I never fully took advantage of the Aught years and now I miss being able to say it...I digress.) I have lost 9 pounds, feel great, and every day it is no longer a chore, but a joy.

Heidi said:

Rayanne:

I always enjoy reading your post however, I found this one challenging because I am not sure I understand where you are coming from but as always, I appreciate your insight. Here are my thoughts on this topic:

There are certain things we may not want to do but, at the core at what allows us to succeed and drives us, is our attitude. In other words when we have the "right" attitude, we face duties, tasks or challenges completely different than if we had a negative perspective. Hence when we align ourselves with negativity, fear or insecurity... it becomes difficult if not impossible to put our heart into achieving our goals...

However, having the right attitdude allows us to grow because we enable ourselves to see life from different angles. People who stay fixated on one way cheat themselves from elevation and eventually become stuck in their ways.

Ultimately, I believe when we get to a place where we can "just do it" (especially those task where we felt it was impossible to achieve- yes for some even folding clothes or exercise) we have gotten to a place where we see value in our efforts... which then gives us the drive and energy to move forward....

Case in point for simplicity purposes.. think about exercise, if you're negative about it, it's harder to do but when you see the value in it, you are more driven to perform.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Heidi on January 13, 2010 at 5:02pm

Rayanne:

Thanks for the clarification! I now completly, understand your perspective however, I've learned that in what so ever state I'm in to be content. This has been a hard lesson for me to learn. In other words, I've learned that it's imperative to take command of my attitude. I've learned that my attitude does not control me rather I've must control it. I found this cool quote by Chuck Swindoll....

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.

"The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitudes. "

Perhaps we are saying the same thing but taking a different approach. Again thank you for sharing your wisdom and thoughts!

Warmest regards,
Heidi

Rayanne said:

Thanks for our insight, Heidi. I guess my point was pretty simple (typical for me, I know)... Yes, I agree with you about attitude but some days, it can be difficult to find that happy place yet there is still work to be done. Instead of waiting until your good attitude returns, it may be better to just drive through it and get it down.

While attitude is prone to change, going up and down, most duties and responsibilities remain constant. Hoping for or falsely trying to create a better attitude is not always a viable option.

And, I agree with you 100% about exercise... a necessary evil, eh?