PARADOX (a situation, person, or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities). Why do we work? What is the purpose of daily toil in both the physical and mental realm? What, if any, reward does the body offer for doing such daily labor? In other words, what is the payoff for such effort? To answer such questions, we need to look much deeper at the body’s perceived meaning behind labor.
Firstly, let’s look at younger children (9-14 years old) and retired adults. In most cases, younger kids in this age range can be insufferable. Spending everyday with no apparent deeper understanding of why they need to do the work they are asked. Kids often fight their parents about every aspect of work they are asked to perform from homework to after school chores. It's not until they grow much older do they garner appreciation for their parents teaching them proper work ethic. This understanding becomes apparent when they compare themselves to their peers who are struggling to solve life’s simple problems. Looking back at the kids you went to school with, it’s not hard to separate the ones who worked and learned lessons vs the ones who had it “easy”. As an 80’s baby, I can vividly remember getting off the school bus at 3pm and having a good 3.5 hours alone. We had no phones, no internet, and no means of distraction except the other kids on the block in similar situations. This resulted in kids creating games, social groups, leadership hierarchies, and occasional mischief. Summertime break was even crazier; most kids in my neighborhood would have 10 hours free daily, and I remember being dropped off at the lake with a dollar fifty to get me through the day. Now, I don’t think the ways of the 80’s are a guide for parenting now, but surely things have been lost when comparing GEN X to GEN Z.
Switching the focus to Seniors, we could ask why are retired adults also failing to grasp the true need and necessity of work? This problem is more difficult to understand. Perhaps, they never appreciated the purpose of daily toil or lacked passion for their chosen profession. Or, perhaps they fell into the trap that retirement is only sipping a cocktail on some remote beach. In either case, the lack of mental and physical toil has catastrophic consequences on the human body. When comparing Seniors, those who continue to improve by maintaining a garden, keeping physical hobbies, or developing new skills are happier and healthier. I believe it’s our responsibility to keep our seniors moving and developing, not just making them comfortable in their golden years.
“The blood lines run to branch water”. I can’t remember the old man who first said this to me, but I never forgot the phrase. His point was generational wealth tends to destroy the unworthy. Simple as it sounds, if you haven’t earned the money via an exchange of sacrifice and struggle, the “reward” will devour your soul. Now, you might ask yourself why would this be the case? The reason, and I believe this to be universally true, is that we are wired for work. Our body's purpose in the simplest terms is to thrive and replicate itself. Therefore, daily work and struggle is a required aspect of developing yourself and making yourself worthy of replication. Every animal on planet earth does not successfully thrive and reproduce. In most cases, mating is very disproportional. What then rewards are we given for endlessly enduring the mundane day to day work? As an example, if you spend the entire afternoon cleaning up your backyard, mowing the lawn, racking up all the leaves, trimming trees, and creating a space worthy of spending time. The feeling you will have, if you pay attention, at the end of the day, is one of contentment. Yes, that’s it, this elusive feeling is the reward, and it cannot be purchased.
Daily struggle via mental and physical work is part of every animal’s life. We can refer to the ancient Greek story of Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill for eternity. In the story, every time he pushes the boulder up the hill, it rolls back down to the bottom. The task would then be repeated forever. And, in truth the rock would probably roll over the top of you as it made its way back down the hill. What is the key takeaway? Is the rock being moved up the hill your enemy or greatest companion? What benefits are we gaining daily with the effort required to push boulders? Mentally, how is our state of mind at the end of a long physical day compared to a day of idleness? If we have machines and computers do all the thinking and physical labor for us, how will our mind and body fair? If we evolved for hundreds of thousands of years wrestling with the mental and physical tasks of day-to-day life, what genetic mechanisms would we be programmed with to handle this? More importantly, without the challenges, are we able to trigger those genetic mechanisms that reward our effort with a feeling of contentment and happiness? In my experience, there is no short cut to any place worth going and there is no way to cheat this genetic rewards system. As Ray Bradbury famously wrote, “it’s as old as history and juvenile delinquents''. In the short Kipling poem to his son he writes “If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, and lose, and start again at the beginning and never breathe a word about your loss”. In this poem the advice is the same as the ancient texts. The “stone” in your way is an illusion. We must constantly move forward and grow or perish like all animals on the planet. The “work” will never cease, there is no top of the mountain, there are only false flats.
So, knowing that this is life, and things will always be unfair, how do we teach these lessons to the young? Keep in mind, for young kids, the worst thing that has happened to them might be the toy that was suddenly taken from them. In this context, that we can understand the insane temper tantrum that typically follows. Now, can they learn to not prioritize physical possessions? If they build an elaborate castle in the sand that takes hours, how do they react when it’s crushed by the rising tide? As adults, does our attitude towards life’s constant let downs imprint on the next generation? If so, why do so many of the World’s most successful people rise from the worst upbringings? Perhaps we are guiding the next generations, so they avoid the pains of life, removing all the obstacles we ourselves had to grapple with. And by doing so, have removed all the lessons and the development of perseverance. When we remove someone from a struggle, help them manage the stress and pain, are we doing them a favor? Or, is there a selfish gain from aiding another? I have always been on the side of pushing one another more into the fire. It’s tragic how many people suffer in life constantly fighting the ups and downs of existence. The proverbial decks of life are stacked against us all, we can only strive to play the best hand in each and every game. This mental shift can bring a sense of peace to the difficulties we must all endure.
Ok, knowing the importance of work and physical struggle on health, longevity, and mental sanity, how can we take advantage of this ancient system? One option: you can choose a sport/hobby that physically challenges you. The goal here would be to become passionate about a sport that’s good for your mental and physical state. The enjoyment and endless development in the sport will keep you in this positive feedback loop. The problem I so typically see is that most people choose the worst activities to push themselves, they don’t enjoy the activity, thus the effort is JV, and they end up quitting. Our minds enjoy tactical games that involve strategy and group competition. If we are wrapped up in these games, we are able to push our bodies 3x harder than a solo basic gym workout. In addition, most games are dynamic and will challenge stability, strength, endurance, and balance in a much more athletic and natural way. I cannot stress this enough so I’ll say it again, choose a sport/physical activity that you ENJOY doing, and all the enormous benefits will come your way. In addition, if that activity is a group activity, you can get off your phone and have real human connection and make some friends along the way.
In conclusion I hope you decide to start guiding your own path up stream and not with the current. Find a way to improve yourself every single day and help others do the same. Help the younger generation learn the value of struggle, do not attempt to solve problems for them. If you have elderly parents, they need the physical and mental challenges as much as you do, be the positive force in their life, push them.
