A prayer as I begin work

Spirit of life and love,

Today, as I do most days, I sit down at a desk to work.
This work I do is not work that I would choose if left to my passions and my convictions,
but it is the work that I am paid to do, and therefore, the work that currently sustains my life.

Today, as I do most days, I wince at the thought of dedicating so much of myself to a set of goals that were set by someone else, for a purpose that I do not always align to.

Spirit, today I ask for calm, focus, and gratitude.

Calm so that I may, without stress or turmoil, execute the tasks set before me to the best of my ability.
Focus so that I may finish in a timely manner, offering respect to my teammates and more freedom for my own heart at the end of the day.
Gratitude not just for the opportunity to be paid or to be busy, but for the fact that while I do not love this work, I have been blessed with the knowledge that to love what you are doing is possible.

Each day we work and we build community. We honor our commitments and the people to whom we have made them. I am grateful to be among the ranks who have the privilege to do so.

May the frustration and malaise that sometimes come with my situation serve only as a gentle guide in the right direction. May each task, each meeting, each email, and each workday just be one more mile marker as I journey towards the heart of who I am.

May it be so.