Creative Thinking: Workers and salaries
A traditional story tells of some workers who were hired the same day, but at different times. When the job was done and the boss paid them, they all received the same amount of money. It goes without saying that those who had started the job earlier resented the fact that the others got the same pay for a less amount of work. It certainly sounds unfair at a superficial observation. (In real life this could never happen because the Unions would immediately see to such injustice! The boss would be sued etc. But here we are just talking metaphorically, in order to explain some interesting points that might be crucial in the way we perceive our life.
Let’s try to understand, and let’s start by asking, “What did each worker expect at the beginning of his workday?”
1. Some were anxious to find a job, so they immediately found it, early in the morning, and they later received the salary they had agreed upon. Talking now about you, ask yourself what is the aim you are pursuing at this point of your life. Try to understand if you are always alert, if you try to grasp every opportunity to improve yourself, if you are willing to work for your spiritual progress. Ask yourself if you are ready, “now.” If you believe you are mentally and spiritually open, if you are receptive to positive solicitations, you can begin to learn new, good principles, absorb them and apply them in your life.
2. Other workers were not able to find a job right away, therefore they started working much later, around noon. Nevertheless, they endeavored to do their best and carried out as many tasks as possible. They worked as well as those who had started at dawn. What about you? After years of “sleepiness,” something wakes up inside your spirit and you start feeling that the life you routinely lead day after day is not enough anymore. You feel that something new has been born inside of you: the desire of something new, of something different. You know that now you, too, are ready to start working with those who began at dawn, and you intend to give the maximum.
3. Other workers were hired only much later because they didn’t try hard enough to find a job, maybe they got distracted and “forgot” to look for it, just like you when you let yourself be lured by merely prosaic desires and tend to neglect some sides of your spiritual life.
Throughout the day those workers were located in the same job at “different moments,” according to their eagerness and readiness to be hired. You, throughout your life, find yourself at “different levels” of awareness, according to the effort you put into becoming a “better yourself.” The conclusion is that it is not important how long your eyes were kept “blindfolded.” What counts is the glorious moment when your eyelids are able to rise, allowing your eyes to see clearly. The “salary” (reward) received is a proper vision of reality, free of pre-conceived ideas, false interpretations, conditioning. What counts is the “waking up,” not how long it took.
A teacher may start his/her career well aware that such job is a true mission. Another might need a few years to realize that teaching young people implies much more than transmitting notions. The owner of a company might have felt that some irregularities were being carried out by his employees but he didn’t do anything about it. When, at last, he was ready to take the reins of the situation in his hands, he put things straight. It is never too late. The important thing is that he was able to make the changes before his company went bankrupt.
As far as “you” are concerned, it does not matter at what point you are at this moment of your life. It is only significant what you decide to do from now on. Give it a thought. It might be a revelation.
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