The Work Is The Reward
In society today many of us want the rewards. The increased pay. The bonuses. The other financial incentives for doing great work. The job promotion. The acceptance letter. Meanwhile, it does not always happen. So you get disappointed. You become disheartened. Discouraged.
However, the work is the reward. What comes after the work is just a byproduct of the work you do. But, you can get snubbed. You won’t get the bonus or pay raise. You won’t get the promotion.
The grammy goes to someone else. You work insanely hard and someone else becomes class valedictorian.
The work is the reward. Stop looking for the third thing. You do the work because you know it has to be done (thing one) and the work you’ve done benefits a person, or group of people (thing two), than you have done it. The third thing is the credit, the reward, the recognition. Don’t look for or expect the third thing. Just like Dr. Katalin Kariko.
Arriving in America with $900, Dr. Katalin Kariko spent most of her life grinding, hustling towards her education and her work. Never making more than $60,000 per year. Often struggling to keep her job and fighting for it. But then something changed. In 2020 Dr. Kariko’s mRNA research became something the world needed, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work, her research led directly to create the vaccines that would save lives. Millions of lives.
What was her reward? Was it money? No. Was it a Nobel Prize? No, she was snubbed and someone else won.
Her husband ended up telling reporters that people shouldn’t feel sorry for his wife. She still loves going to work each and everyday. Dr. Kariko does the work because she knew it had to be done (thing one) and the work done benefits a person, or group of people (thing two). The third thing is the credit, the reward, the recognition. And she isn’t in it for that.
Whether you were supposed to land the job, promotion, pay raise or the reward, remember, the work is your reward. Doing the job because is has to be done and someone other than you benefits from it While it’s hard to do work you don’t enjoy, still the work you do has a benefactor. Just remember, it isn’t you.
Thought Provoking Questions : Are you dedicated to your work (regardless if it’s your dream or not)?
Dan Roman is a writer that releases a daily meditation. A quick read. Sharing wisdom and asking thought-provoking questions. Influenced by the obstacles, success and failures in life and of others. Using history, books, current events, philosophy, and ancient wisdom. These writings are actionable, thought-provoking, designed to make your life better.
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