Leben and arbeiten, love and work, said Freud about what drives life. Love can be fickle, somewhat out of our control. But work — here’s where we can step up, this is something we can control… sort of. Is your work a job, career, or calling?
Unfortunately for too many of us, work is what we have to do to maintain our life, to make money, support ourselves and our families. It is what we do to keep our life running. Through trial and error, we figure out what works — what combination of skills and personality and opportunities make an often good-enough fit.
But for many more of us, we are fortunate to have choices not only about our work — what do you want to be when you grow up? — but how we think about its role in our lives. While our love life may continue to be fickle, work can be more steady, a foundation upon which we can build our self-esteem, our sense of purpose.