Work
I’m in my late forties and semi-retired (by choice and advanced planning). Although I could stop working to ‘enjoy life’ and I did just that, I found that it is not working well for me because I love to work AND while I’m at it, enjoy life, too. I’ve been thinking a lot about work lately, about the kind of work that I want to do.
These ponderings about work are refreshed with my rereading of The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason, a classic book filled with timeless lessons on wealth, wisdom, and work, told through parables set in ancient Babylon. My mind goes to Sharru Nada, “the luckiest man in Babylon.”
Sharru Nada, the merchant prince of Babylon, is one of the characters in the book. He is a former slave who earned his freedom through hard work, discipline and diligence. Here he shares his hard-earned insights with a young man named Hadan Gula—the grandson of his cherished work partner, Arad Gula. Hadan Gula asked him: “Why dost thou work so hard, riding always with thy caravan upon its long journeys? Dost thou never take time to enjoy life?” The young man thinks that “work was fit only for slaves.”
Sharru Nada’s philosophy of life is rooted in effort, character, and purpose. His words are stuck with me:
“Life is rich with many pleasures for men to enjoy,” Sharru Nada commented. “Each has its place. I am glad that work is not reserved for slaves. Were that the case I would be deprived of my greatest pleasure. Many things do I enjoy but nothing takes the place of work.”
The story concluded in the most satisfying way for me.
A few days ago, I wrote about Naval Ravikant’s post, also about work: Working in ways that do not feel like work when you are working for what’s truly yours.
I’m at this stage in my life where I’m simplifying my ‘work portfolio’. I’m moving away from the corporate climb, away from big-and-important-sounding job titles, away from the bells and whistles of trending topics.
There will be no change in the way I work. I take my work seriously, and I work hard—this will always be my work philosophy. But I will be laser-focused on what is important to me, trimming away the ‘fat’ and noise.
