The Absence of Rest

If you are like me, it is a rare occasion when you get a chance to truly rest. If you work like most of America, then you see your co-workers far more than you see your spouse or family. A typical 40 hour work week means being gone from home about 50 hours a week, and that is if you don't take work home with you, work a second part-time job, etc. It's no wonder we put such little emphasis on community and relationships here in the West because our work culture removes us from the chance to flourish socially and relationally! Besides your actual job, if you are a home owner, you likely spend a large amount of time maintaining your house, mowing the grass, etc. Beyond that we have errands to run, groceries to buy, appointments to keep, doctors to see, and, well... you probably get my point. To "fit in" in America, it pays to be busy.

I saw an interesting show this weekend about a recent rating of the happiest countries in the world. While the US was somewhere around 23 on the list, Denmark came in at # 1 for the 30th or so year in a row. Perhaps it is because they enjoy a low unemployment rate, are growing much slower than other countries, consume less, are less materialistic, etc. that they enjoy this status as the happiest country on our planet earth. While you can attempt to arrive at a statistical explanation of their plight, the young Danes interviewed in the segment attributed their happiness to a select few causes, among them, contentment, enjoying their occupation, and having a lot of time for family and friends.

Maybe we could learn a few things from the Danes. Maybe the workaholics should rest a bit more and rekindle their relationships with their families. Those chasing the dream of being marked within the realm of the upper class should take inventory of what is really important in life; stuff or people. To those who hate their job with more passion then they work with, find something that you enjoy doing, and do it. If it doesn't pay the bills, do something else to pay them, and do what you love anyway.

So, that is my "easy for you to say" analysis of what is wrong with our work culture here in the US of A. Personally, until corporate America considers happiness as a worthy trait to pursue for their employees, we will probably not see a change in our work culture. In the meantime, we can make the most of what we are given I suppose, and learn to be a bit more content.