Another Monday has arrived. Time seems to march on no matter what we feel, no matter what we are doing, no matter how hard we are working. Right now everyone is facing different challenges. Some have continued to work during this pandemic at a paying job, some have worked hard at home and some have lost their jobs during this time. We all have tried to be productive in one way or another. Productivity……makes us think so many things.
People who work in plants or who join pyramid type businesses are judged and rewarded or penalized on their productivity. Pushing to get to this next level. Some jobs aren’t productivity based but you are expected to do a day’s work. Some people are over achievers and some do enough to get by. Then there is home productivity. We have to prove that we are productive in our home lives of cleaning, renovating. Productivity has become a competition in our world. Proving that one can be more than another and do more than another, that they are more productive.
When did we place our worth on our productivity? Now don’t get me wrong, we are not meant to be a bunch of sloths and we are meant to care for what has been put in our charge, but when did it all become a competition? Or maybe it is my skewed view of the world right now. There are some that scurry around like a bunch of ants thinking they are the queen of the colony but only half way digging the tunnels to get by and make it appear that they are being productive but are missing the small details. Some people can be counter productive in our lives. Productivity shouldn’t be based on what others see you do but what you actually do.
If we spent a little more time on weeding out what is counter productive. The negative thoughts, the unmet expectations, the people who rob us of our peace. When we work,we work towards a goal, that is productive. Not everyone gets recognized for their productivity but it doesn’t mean that they are working less. The thrift store doesn’t give you a standing ovation when you clean at your garage, but you were productive. No one hears that patient say I am glad I am talking to you, yet you are still productive. You take a day for your mental health, you are still productive. You are still worthy. Worthiness isn’t based on productivity. It goes beyond that. It goes beyond your paying job, your non paying job. Worthiness isn’t based on other’s opinions.
I think this pandemic has made me think even more. Believe me that is a dangerous thing as I already over think everything. Sometimes my thoughts are counter productive and sometimes hurtful to me. People are in so many situations right now, emotionally and physically, financially and spiritually. We link our productivity and who we are to the job we do, the money we earn, the accolades that are sought. We link our productivity to the house we live in, the items we collect, the car we drive. If we weren’t productive how could we do the things we do? This time has made us slow down, atleast for some. Maybe it has made us look at our lives and maybe we should or could be productive in other areas. Maybe we are productive in caring for ourselves and the people in our lives, productive in protecting our mental health, productive in helping others and productive in what makes our hearts happy. As long as we can, the majority of us will have to work. To live and survive we work. But is all of our worth just that one aspect of life? Do we produce for accolades or are we productive for our own gratification? Do we look at our worth through our own eyes or others? I will admit this, I have never seen my own worth. I only see it through how others see me. I see so many things that I think are unworthy in myself, I chase negative thoughts and I worry. I know I am a worthy person and I will admit that I liked to be bragged on or recognized or appreciated, however you want to look at it. We all do. But my productivity isn’t my total worth. Yours isn’t either. It is just one part of who we are. Maybe if we were productive in the impact we had on others and ourselves, well that would be worth more than gold. If we gave ourselves to be productive in ourselves, our communities and in each other’s lives, well that would be worth more than rubies. You, me, all of us are more than the productivity we are judged on. Actually, we are worth more than we judge ourselves on. Sometimes the smallest things that happen in the quiet moments, the small victories, the lives touched, the goals met without fanfare….those matter and are worthy. We are more than the productivity of the 9 to 5 job, we are worth more than the fruits of our labors. We should be worthy of the fruits of the spirit, we should be worth more to ourselves. So take a moment to look at your worth, your true worth. Be productive in what you choose, be productive not for accolades but because of what you are called to do. Realize your worth and productivity are not the same. Your productivity may be different than someone else’s, you are still worthy. Be productive in the production of your day, your life. We all want to feel worthy in our jobs, our families, in someone’s life…but that isn’t and shouldn’t be based all on what you do, it should be based on who you are. In this competitve world we all feel the need to out shine, out produce, out do. Our worth is based on our bank accounts, our reviews, how others see us. Maybe we spend some time being productive on our own worth. While some choose to follow those they deem worthy, maybe some should just quietly shine like the diamonds they are meant to be. You are worthy, I am worthy and that worth isn’t always about production but what we produce from the people we are meant to be.
So drink that coffee, punch that time card, but take a moment today to recognize that you are worthy no matter your role in your job, your home, your life. You are worthy, bottom line. So keep producing your life to be the best for you, keep moving forward, keep knowing your worth. Just my thoughts..