Work
Some people love it. Some people hate it. Some will go through great lengths to avoid it, while others do it too much. Despite the many different attitudes and meanings of work, one thing remains – work must be done in order to advance. Science states that unless force or effort is applied over a distance, then work hasn’t taken place. This is explained in physics as W = F x D (Work equals Force multiplied by Distance). This definition may apply to the physical world, but it applies metaphorically to mental work as well. It can also be fun with the right attitude.
Ancient civilizations were formed from work. For a civilization to be created, three steps needed to be accomplished. The first step was to obtain a surplus of food. People needed to build levies and dig irrigation canals to water their crops so they grew more efficiently. The second step was to develop a division of work or labor. Since they had a surplus of food, some farmers were able to stop farming and develop specialized skills. They were able to work as pottery makers, jewelers, and house builders. The third and final step required in becoming a civilization was to build cities. Since the people had labored to develop different skills, they were able to carry out big projects, such as constructing the buildings needed to create a city. For the people who lived long ago, work accomplished the building of great empires. (Crib, Klee, Holdren)
Along with physical work there is also intellectual work. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “The Ladder of Saint Augustine” shows that it takes effort, and a lot of it, to improve and have success in your life. “The heights by great men reached and kept / Were not attained by sudden flight / But they, while their companions slept / Were toiling upward through the night.” (41-44) To obtain a high level of achievement, it takes a good amount of energy (or force if using the scientific definition) over the distance of time. Most complex inventions and discoveries don’t happen overnight. There is a great deal of preparation in learning, trying, thinking, questioning, discovering, and trying again.
It took Marie Curie three years of hard work to be able to isolate enough pure radium chloride to be able to determine its atomic weight. It took eight more years for her to be able to isolate pure radium. (Pasachoff) It also took Michael Faraday years to figure out how a magnet field could generate electricity. He spent hours thinking about it and experimenting. He even built a tiny model of what he was trying to do and kept it in his pocket so he could take it out periodically and look at it. It was this foundation of effort that found success after a great deal of time.
There are some who feel work is boring, tiring, unsatisfactory and a general waste of time. However, others are inspired, energized, determined, and find great joy in what they are doing. Marie Curie and Michael Faraday are great examples of this. It was Confucius that said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” (Goodreads)
Work is progress and a sense of accomplishment. When a project is finished, a feeling of achievement and triumph is experienced. That feeling is well earned and well deserved. Work is important because, without it, nothing would get done. It is easy to sit back and think that others who have experienced success did so because of luck. However, it was the Roman philosopher Seneca who said, “Luck is what happens when preparation (work) meets opportunity.” (Goodreads) As much as we try, work is unavoidable if we want to see the growth and development of things. Whether those things are physical or mental in nature, a force (effort) must be applied over a distance (time) – and a good attitude always helps.
Works Cited Page
Cribb, John T. E., Mary Beth Klee, and John Holdren. Prehistory Through the Middle Ages. Vol. 1. McLean, VA: K12, 2004. Print. The Human Odyssey.
Pasachoff, Naomi. "Marie Curie: Discovery of Radium - BRIEF Exhibit." Marie Curie: Discovery of Radium - BRIEF Exhibit. Marie Curie: Her Story in Brief, 1996. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
Confucius. "Confucius Quotes." Confucius Quotes (Author of The Analects). Goodreads Inc, 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
Seneca, Lucius. "“Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity.”." Goodreads. Goodreads Inc, 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.