Eight months ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 245. Yesterday, I talked about learning to not take our failures so seriously. Today is a new day.
Although we don't always see eye-to-eye and she's generally all business when it comes to our interactions, I respect her for being a hard worker. It's not just her, either. Most of the people I've worked with in Japan share this same sort of mentality. The sense of duty goes beyond merely wanting an easy job. Life isn't easy and they realize it. Putting up with hardship is something that's embedded in their culture, whether it's the weather or the work place.
Japan is very duty-oriented. Compared to the people I'd work with in America, I'll almost never hear complaints at work from the Japanese staff. Their work, although hard, is still necessary and so they do what must be done. Simple. Compared to the foreign counterparts such as myself, they have it harder I think, yet the complaints I hear are generally from the foreign teachers. That sense of duty is both a great asset and a detriment that unfortunately leads a lot of people to working themselves to death.
A lot of people assume the Japanese are all just "following the crowd" and while I can see how it can seem that way, I see it more as realizing that life is more than just about you; the bigger picture is more important. Despite the extremes they may go through, their duty-based mentality builds discipline, and this discipline is what creates character. Character that is focused on self-improvement and continuous growth.
I definitely lack that level of discipline and focused dedication, so I can learn a lot from my coworkers. How we do anything is how we do everything, so by giving it my all at work I can also do the same in other aspects of my life. Developing the right character for growth is as simple as changing the way you look at things and acting on it. Duty or not, you can always gain something from putting your all into everything you do.
Peace
"People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built." - Eleanor RooseveltI thought about one of my coworkers as I was at the gym today. She is very strong in the sense that she's independent, does her job, does it well, and is very driven to succeed. She's the type of person who busts her ass at whatever she does and never do I hear her really complain. I remember asking her how she was doing stress-wise and what I could do to help make her (and the other staffs' ) job flow more smoothly. She responded saying, "I know it can be really stressful and crazy sometimes, but I also chose to work here. It's my job, so I'm okay".
Although we don't always see eye-to-eye and she's generally all business when it comes to our interactions, I respect her for being a hard worker. It's not just her, either. Most of the people I've worked with in Japan share this same sort of mentality. The sense of duty goes beyond merely wanting an easy job. Life isn't easy and they realize it. Putting up with hardship is something that's embedded in their culture, whether it's the weather or the work place.
Japan is very duty-oriented. Compared to the people I'd work with in America, I'll almost never hear complaints at work from the Japanese staff. Their work, although hard, is still necessary and so they do what must be done. Simple. Compared to the foreign counterparts such as myself, they have it harder I think, yet the complaints I hear are generally from the foreign teachers. That sense of duty is both a great asset and a detriment that unfortunately leads a lot of people to working themselves to death.
A lot of people assume the Japanese are all just "following the crowd" and while I can see how it can seem that way, I see it more as realizing that life is more than just about you; the bigger picture is more important. Despite the extremes they may go through, their duty-based mentality builds discipline, and this discipline is what creates character. Character that is focused on self-improvement and continuous growth.
I definitely lack that level of discipline and focused dedication, so I can learn a lot from my coworkers. How we do anything is how we do everything, so by giving it my all at work I can also do the same in other aspects of my life. Developing the right character for growth is as simple as changing the way you look at things and acting on it. Duty or not, you can always gain something from putting your all into everything you do.
Peace
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| You may not always enjoy what you're doing, but that doesn't mean it isn't rewarding. |
What duties do you have to fulfill? What sort of character and discipline can you build from them?
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