When work is done

I hear a lot about people who just punch a clock for a paycheck.  They seem passionless.  They work to feed their families.  They work at a pace that insures their jobs last longer than they have to.  They never or rarely work above and beyond.  They don’t necessarily work in miserable conditions, they just don’t enjoy their jobs even if they are good or excellent at what they do.

And I hear and read a lot about people who are nuts about their work.  Every moment seems filled with tasks or results that feed people’s drive to do even better than the last goal they achieved.  Their steps have spring in them every day because they do what they enjoy so much.  Even bad working conditions are seen as opportunities to propel them to new heights.

I feel certain that I have met people that fit both stereotypes of those who work.  I have, in turn, eschewed those who work with little ambition and admired those who seemed to have the tiger by the tail.  At times, I have worked in miserable conditions, worked at a pace, and experienced little enjoyment.  At other times, I have achieved goals that caused me to strive to reach even higher.

But maybe reward from work is not found in the two extremes.   Maybe it’s found in the vitality a person has when work is done.  It’s seen in the optimism that the task at hand matters to the people receiving the product or service.  It’s felt in the comments received that reinforce that people’s efforts have been appreciated or have made a difference in someone else’s life.   The aftertaste of even one accomplishment keeps the present moment as a really sweet taste.