When we are young, we have abundant energy. There is a vitality in our actions that can carry us through any task, allowing us to accomplish whatever we set out to do with ease. Yet because our energy comes so easily, we may not use it wisely. We direct it to our personal goals, and work well only at what we enjoy, holding our energy back from the more routine aspects of work and daily life.

We may think that when we avoid hard work, our lives will be more enjoyable; we want to save our time and energy for the things we prefer to do. We may not understand that success comes from effort and enthusiasm, that by avoiding work we let our energy go to waste and deprive ourselves of the possibility for growth. Life becomes like a stagnant pool instead of being a joyful ground for action.

What we waste in time and energy is gone forever. A part of our life is thrown away; we lose the vitality that comes from direct and full participation in anything we do. When we believe we have all the time in the world, we tend to move slowly, putting things off. Though we could be moving dynamically through each day, we let ourselves float, taking it easy, drifting from one thing to another. When we use our energy in this way, we seldom go deeply enough into anything to find real satisfaction; our motivation is too slack, and our attention too unfocused.

Wasting our time and energy leaves us feeling empty and unfulfilled. We look at what we have done, and see very little, for our unwillingness to embrace all our work prevents us from accomplishing truly meaningful goals. When old age approaches, we may find ourselves regretting our wasted years; having squandered our energy, we discover the loss too late to do anything about it. Time almost mysteriously takes our lives away, and we find that we have achieved few substantial results.

By observing our patterns at work, we can see the many ways in which we waste our energy. When we do not give our full effort to our work, we do not plan well, and we fall behind in our commitments. We grow anxious and tense, but instead of directing more energy to our work, we begin to daydream, allowing our minds to become even less focused on what we need to do. Our motivation to work is further weakened; we look for distractions, and often end up distracting those we work with. As these patterns continue, others must work harder to compensate for us, and resentment builds up and leads to conflict; thus more energy is wasted.

Once we observe these patterns, we see that the quality of the energy we put into our work determines the benefits we will gain from it. Time and energy are resources that can help us accomplish any goal we wish; if we use these resources well, we can transform our lives. Therefore it is important for us to find the most effective use of our energy, and to take full advantage of each moment of our working time.

You can begin by focusing on a simple task, becoming sensitive to how you use your energy. Honestly examine your motivation: are you working as well as you could? How are you using your energy? Are you able to concentrate clearly, or are you pulled away by distractions? When you finish what you are doing, examine the results of your work: are you satisfied with what you have accomplished? Did you complete the task quickly, or did it take longer than you had expected?

A routine task done with all of your energy will be more satisfying than a half-hearted involvement in a more demanding project. You will discover that what makes the difference in your work is the attitude with which you do it. As you become more effective in doing simple things well, you can improve your ability to plan and set wise goals, and you can carry out more complex goals with ease.

When we learn to use our energy wisely, patience and perseverance develop naturally. We persist in our efforts, not in a forced way, but with pleasure and true enjoyment. Each experience nourishes us; our awareness and clarity expand, and as our inner strength increases, we can do more than we ever thought possible. Each day becomes a stage where we act out the vital interplay of our creative energy. Our lives become fresh, new, exciting; our work inspires itself, continually revealing new possibilities. We discover the natural creativity and intelligence of our inner being, expressed in the active qualities of time, of change, of growth.

The way we work represents our consciousness—it is the way we manifest our inner being. When we work with all our energy, the vigorous exercise of our minds and our bodies gives us strength, and whatever we do increases our inner awareness. We begin to follow a healthy path, bringing vitality into all that we do. We touch levels of self-understanding which can sustain us. With our energy focused on worthwhile tasks, our lives become a time of fulfillment rather than of regret. When we really care about ourselves, and approach our work with all of our energy and resolve, whatever we do will always contain joy and meaning.




From Skillful Means: Gentle Ways to Successful Work by Tarthang Tulku (Berkeley, Calif.: Dharma Publishing, Inc., 1978).
Copyright © 1978 by Tarthang Tulku

Used by arrangement with Dharma Publishing, Inc.