Doug Morton
Aug 9, 2017 · 3 min read

I completely agree with this even though I do think that work is a sacred thing, something which is very important to us humans. There is much work to be done to change the nature of what we humans really value and hence occupy ourselves with nine to five. This is beyond my understanding and certainly beyond the scope of this short response.

But I just wanted to share my personal experience. I worked full time from the age of 16 initially as an engineering apprentice then as a design engineer following my degree and finally as a manger of a technical consultancy business. I retired aged 51 with sufficient assets not to worry about being paid for work again. Though I found much of what I did meaningful and worthwhile and hence derived pleasure from my work, a lot of what I did was less rewarding. Just before the end I knew that I never wanted to do anything like I had been doing ever again. Though I was good at it, I knew my work was not my reason for being. Like many, I suspect, I stumbled away from my heart’s desire and into a deep trough of workaday bump and grind, chasing success ( measured by money).I wasn’t defined by my work so it wasn’t an important part of my identity. Unlike many others I had observed. When my colleagues would ask, just before we sold our business thus enabling each of us to choose our future, what will I do next, they assumed the answer would be contained within a narrow boundary. Set up another business. Become an non executive director in support of venture capital activity. Be a part time consultant. Or similar. When I answered that I was going in search of beauty, they laughed. But I wasn’t joking. And that is what I am dedicated to. I am not retired in my head. I used to say I was resting but even that is inadequate. I’m working on me, becoming a better human and in so doing I hope I can be useful to others.

The thing is that whether paid or unpaid what we do when we seek out a life well lived is work. Work Done ( or value created) is equal to force times distance and so I think of the effectiveness of any endeavour as related to how many people are affected ( force) times how much change has been delivered ( distance). I’m an engineer, can’t help it!

I am not ashamed of, nor diminished by, the fact that I stepped away from a career which brought me money and status because these things were not at the core of me. My writing may not bring me acclaim. It certainly won’t bring me money because I will not pursue this kind of reward. It is though still work and as such it may bring about positive changes to others. The success of my writing may be judged by how many are changed and by how far. Something I will never know, don’t need to know. It is enough for me to write, to travel, to admire paintings, to dance, to listen to music, to read, to love my family and friends, to experience the World and all it’s mystery. This is what I meant by the pursuit of beauty, my road to happiness. My work.

Doug Morton

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Practicing writing because I love words.....