John Stanko

"All their days their work is grief and pain;
even at night their minds do not rest. This too
is meaningless" - Ecclesiastes 3:23.

The wisdom writer of Ecclesiastes was on a mission to figure out what was meaningful in life, and he did not find much. He focused on work and did not discover much hope there, concluding that all work was mostly meaningless and futile. Furthermore, the writer observed that it was meaningless to fret and fume over work that was likewise meaningless, destined to change and passed on to successors (along with wealth) who may or may not treat it with respect. He did come to one consistent conclusion: it was a gift of God to enjoy work and that meant in part to step away from work's frustrations and enjoy some rest and recreation.

LEADERSHIP STEP: Your Step today is to reflect on your relationship with your work roles in life. Are you expecting too much from them? Do you spend a lot of time fretting over the outcomes, which in the grander scale of things will pass away without much notice? Do you enjoy the work, or do you have to achieve a certain level of recognition or accomplishment to find any joy or sense of purpose? Is your mind free from work's pull when you are away and resting?