"Tailor made . . . fringe benefits . . . lifetime
contract . . . Boss available for meetings -- no appointment
necessary"
Wanted: Workers for employment. Lifetime contract maximum
120 years. Varied work, excellent benefits, occasional
bonuses. Eternal vacation pay. Must invest heart and soul.
Working hours 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Shabbat 1/60
vacation. Must be willing to work overtime. Pleasant working
conditions, different locations, some close to sea, choice
of climates. Transfers possible. Family-type atmosphere.
Frequent promotions based on experience, willingness to
learn and desire for advancement. Positions available in
many different departments. Executive Director available for
meetings any time, no appointment necessary.
Whether we are aware of it or not, we have all applied for
and accepted the above position and now we are working at
our jobs each according to his or her specialization. We, or
at least I, tend to forget occasionally that my real boss is
Hashem, I'm always on the job, and that whatever else I may
be doing, my real work in this world is of a spiritual
nature.
Sometimes we forget to be grateful for the fringe benefits
of our positions; the delicious food, the loving and
supportive colleagues (our families and friends), the
working conditions (sun, snow, flowers, four seasons) and
the working holidays we get (Shabbos, Festivals, Bein
Hazemanim).
We often get depressed and gripe on our coffee breaks to the
guys in the office or even to the Big Boss about something
we're missing that we'd like to have. We forget that if we
are missing something, it's because it's not part of our job
description; it's not part of the tools of our particular
trade in the universal enterprise we work for. Everybody
would like something more: more wealth, more family, more
love, more health, or less: less aggravation, less
responsibility, less debt. And while we certainly are
permitted and even expected to take on new projects, strive
for more benefits and petition for what we consider better
working conditions, some things are just above and beyond
our call of duty and not only not required for either our
job completion or our job satisfaction but would actually
hinder our job performance.
Everything we need to excel at our jobs is provided. We
don't need to requisition anything else. Though no one says
it's easy, it's a comfort to know that we'll be rewarded for
a job well done. We have good days and bad days but that
needn't affect our job performance. Some of us work better
under pressure. On our spiritual journeys, all in a day's
work means something else for everyone. Each contract has
its own fine print.
It's important that we remember that everything's just part
of the job and enjoy our work to the best of our
capabilities, not only because it's been tailor made for us
but because there isn't a nobler profession or better job
available anywhere else in the universe.
