Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Work, anxiety, and practice
fivebells
Veteran
You could say I drifted into the work I'm doing. It has a lot of merit, but I chose it for the merit, not for the joy it might bring me. Sometimes I do enjoy it, but mostly anxiety has kept me from really getting into it.
I always thought that learning to cope with the anxiety would free me up to fully engage the work. The anxiety led to all kinds of avoidant procrastination. But the capacity to rest in the midst of the anxiety and release it developed recently, and while life is full of joy, there is not much work getting done at all. It wasn't just that anxiety about screwing up was pushing me away from the work; anxiety about not doing enough was pushing me towards it. Now I'm enjoying myself a lot... reading and hanging out with cats (and wanking on Buddhist chat sites
) but this isn't really where I thought I'd end up, and my behavior seems irresponsible and unsustainable. Not sure where this is going to lead, or what the right question to ask might be. "How can I make myself work, now that I'm no longer running from a boogeyman?" seems like the wrong question...
I always thought that learning to cope with the anxiety would free me up to fully engage the work. The anxiety led to all kinds of avoidant procrastination. But the capacity to rest in the midst of the anxiety and release it developed recently, and while life is full of joy, there is not much work getting done at all. It wasn't just that anxiety about screwing up was pushing me away from the work; anxiety about not doing enough was pushing me towards it. Now I'm enjoying myself a lot... reading and hanging out with cats (and wanking on Buddhist chat sites
) but this isn't really where I thought I'd end up, and my behavior seems irresponsible and unsustainable. Not sure where this is going to lead, or what the right question to ask might be. "How can I make myself work, now that I'm no longer running from a boogeyman?" seems like the wrong question... 0
Comments
Very few people enjoy going to work because they like what they do. And I'm not one of them. I suppose it's fodder for Practice and I try to stay mindful, but it's a tough chew when I have to focus on the task at my desk. Sometimes I do both well, sometimes one or the other well, sometimes neither! And on the reallllly tough days, I count the months until my retirement.
I am not really sure what you are talking about but each job has theory behind it.
If we try to help others with compassionate intention but lack understanding about the problems being faced by others, anxiety will arise.
To be free from anxiety, our mind must be clear about the solutions (even if they cannot be acheived).
The Buddha's enlightenment was more than non-attachment. It was also comprehending the laws of karma.
Kind regards
DDhatu
Sometime back when I was reading about work “burnout,” I was surprised to hear that very often people who really love their jobs in the beginning, can burn out on that very same job, usually within 5 years. This happens even in jobs that provide a great deal of variety, like a doctor.
I am not thinking that burn out is necessarily your problem, but it made me think that maybe we expect too much from our jobs/work, and that this myth about job satisfaction actually sets us up for a fall.
Anxiety is fear of the future. Do you have any idea what exactly you are afraid of?
I used to be afraid of what would happen in the future, until I gave myself a good hard look and realized how capable I was of dealing with the present. Now, if everything we deal with IS in the present, why would I all of a sudden not be able to deal well? Hum!
So, I made up my mind not to deal with things before they happened, because dealing in this way had only managed to torture me.
Somebody said, “Most of the things we worry about, actually never happen.”
Respectfully,
S9
Yeah, I get the karma thing. I get that this is unsustainable.
A sticky keyboard is not something the repair man should be bothered with :eek:
You certainly have had more than your share or troubles/challenges lately, what with your mom’s illness, and now work.
Don’t want to scare you, but… my Grandmother used to say, “Trouble comes in threes.” She was a pretty wise old lady.
I like to believe that for every door that closes, hitting us in the rear-end, that another door opens and invites an adventure. : ^ ) At least you won’t be bored.
Perhaps this is the adventure about living in a world where there are so many corners, which we cannot see around. So often, we cannot prepare for what we cannot see. We can only get strong, and stable, and hope that will be enough.
Peace,
S9
I think basically that your girlfriend is sooooo right.
If earth were a one-sided heaven, all fun and games, than we wouldn’t be on the path at/all. We would all be laying around, sipping on Pina Colorados.
This is just your turn ‘Up at the bat.’ We all get a turn, sooner or later. So step up to the plate, take a stand, and hit the darn thing out of the park.
Friendly Regards,
S9
Understanding 'what is what' is the difference between Buddhism and other doctrines of non-duality.
Non-duality in the world or conventional reality gives rise to confusion & anxiety.
This is why the Buddha actually did not teach it.
For minds stuck in non-duality, suitable work is things like packing boxes or pallets on an assembly line.
The core of Buddhism is "suffering is this", "the causes of suffering are these", "the ideal state is this" and "way to end whatever suffering or problem it is is this".
This is different that developing a spacious & bright mind.
Kind regards
:smilec:
I agree DD that is the core of buddhism, to eliminate suffering.
I don’t think anyone disagrees with you that Buddhism is all about getting rid of suffering. Controversy only begins when we start questioning how exactly this is done.
Some of us believe this is done one splinter at a time. Others of us feel that you are only fooling yourself to do it this manner, as suffering is endless when dealt with in a lineal fashion.
I favor seeing through suffering right to its very bottom. Or said differently, finding out why suffering is not suffering at/all.
Respectfully,
S9