Work-Life, a perspective
The last person who should write about work and life is me because I don't see them separetely. There are three perspectives about life I want to share today.
Integrated & Holistic
To me life happens and everything happens inside. We cannot separate them as work or life or rest or whatever.
As a systems designer I see life as an integrated system. All systems (including life) are holistic in nature. Talking about only parts of the system is senseless. Work is just a part. There is many parts to life.
Game
As human beings we are judgemental creatures. I love that part of us. No animal has this capability like we do. That part of us makes us sit on-the stands and give opinions, judgements, ideas, advices and more.
Life doesn't happen in-the-stands, it actually happens in-the-court and when people in the court talk about it they have a very different take on it. Only players know the nuances of the game. The spectators can only give commentary.
My spectators call me workaholic, passionate, extreme, expert and more. They have no clue about the nuances of my game. They have no idea about my strategies. They have really no idea about my flaws and mistakes. And this is true with everyone not just me. Our life is personal and contextual. Only you know your life better.
Life is a single player game and only the player knows what is going on. The way you know about your life, no one else knows it. There are intricacies, nuances, strategies, stupidities and more. You know what is going on in-the-court during the game or in retrospective.
In a multi player version of life, when someone plays the game with you, they know what does it mean to play with you. As players you take certain paths and avoid a few. You tackle life in a certian way. When you strike a goal the crowd cheers and when you miss a goal, the crowd goes on with its uh-oh and related commentaries. Just know that your view is different from theirs. They will never be able to get your view till they come and play with you in-the-court. They live their view and you live yours.
Exhibition
Life is like an exhibition. There are many rides to take, many thrills to experience. The ticket is valid for a certain period. Now you need to be cautious to choose the rides that give you utmost thrill and gratification within the ticket period.
The choice is what determines the path of our lives. Choices (small and big) makes a difference and adds a texture to our lives. The mindfulness of the choice is what makes us give all of us or some of us to the choice. Choices are made every moment.
My choice to write daily has a consequence. My choice to strive for mastery make me look at my profession differently. My choice to stay in X city has a consequence on my network and access. My choice to marry to person Y has a consequence on how we shape our life together. My choice to eat Z has a consequence on my health. Everything is a choice.
Everything is a choice
Our life is a sum of choices. The choices spread across everything. Work is just a small part.
What to eat, what to wear, what zoom meetings to attend, what not to attend, what to do everyday, what not to do in this life, what to chase, what not to, all are choices. Our uniqueness stems from our DNA is only 0.1% but our choices contribute more to our uniqueness than our DNAs. We can only take one path at a time. You cannot be in this road and that road at the same time. Choose wisely!
There is no work and life, there is only choices in life.
🥂 to choices!