Work vs. Play

One of my issues with life right now is I feel I am working all the time. Even when I enjoy what I’m doing, it’s still work! It’s like everything I love to do is work, except reading and watching TV. Writing is work, painting is work, gardening is work, shopping is work ... hell, thinking is work! Writing emails and chatting is work. I feel I am “ON” all the time, even when I take breaks, and it’s tiring.

It’s a difficult issue for me because I love what I do, it’s who I am. I enjoy writing, painting (well, most of them, ha-ha), and being out with my beautiful flowers. If I love what I do, why does it feel like I’m working all the time?

Annette suggested making a game out of the work; find a way to make it fun and playful. I’ve been thinking how I could do this. My journaling the other morning gave revelation. It dawned on me: Play sounds frivolous. I am not frivolous when working, nor do I want to be. My work is serious!

I don't play at writing, painting, or gardening. Oh, there might be a moments of playfulness when something fleets through my mind, but what I do isn't play as I feel play is defined. Now, I "play" Spider Solitaire, and I used to play games with my mum – sometimes all day. (Another subject for another day.)

So, how can I come up with a term between work and play to change work from feeling like a chore? (Chores are housework, taking care of billing, cooking, dishes, etc.) But, for the most part, work is still work, a shortened version of tedious, have-to, mundane, hard along with toil, drudgery, grind, and exertion.

What word will better define what I do and make it less like work and more playful?

Anyway, I ran with all these thoughts, then decided to look again at the thesaurus to see other words to define work ... and lower down were: composition, design, creation, opus (whatever that is, I looked it up and forgot), masterpiece, piece, product, handiwork, oeuvre (again, whatever that word is, again looked up, and forgot.) Hello! The bell is ringing. Those definitions fit! I am a writer and an artist! That’s my life work; work that I love and choose to do … and it’s not tedious and mundane.

So how do I change feeling I’m working all the time, seven days a week, from the time I get up until I crash on the couch 12 hours later? (And even then, I occasionally work on something while watching TV.) I could keep saying, "I enjoy my work," which just feels blah. However, saying, "My work brings me joy!" (which it does); it brings a lightheartedness. This is a perfect example how adjusting a couple of words can change an entire feeling about a sentence/thought.

My work brings me joy! What more could I ask?

I will continue to work on this concept at bringing work and joy together. Logically, I know it, but I need to feel it in my being. I’m getting there.

Work is what I do – and, in a way, I do play – with words, with pastels and photos, with flowers and garden design. It's what I do, and I enjoy doing what I do. My work is me, my purpose, and part of my living a wholehearted life.