Unchanging Fortunes
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
— Max Ehrmann, The Desiderata
When I first read this, I thought it was a little strange that we needed reminding to keep interested in our careers. I mean for most people, myself included, it takes a bit of reminding to prevent us from thinking about ourselves. As my friend Dan once joked, “I’m not much but I’m all I think about!”
But looking more carefully at what Max wrote, perhaps it was intended as a warning. Perhaps he recognized that comparison is the instigator of discontent. Instead of worrying about what someone else has, he suggests we attend to our own situation.
It is easy to lose sight of the value of what we possess when we compare our lot to another’s. Regardless of its relative prestige, the investment of our attention imbues our career with value. It is our honest work.
We then consider what could divert our interest…competing priorities, changes in our environment, maybe growing up? Life unfolds in seasons. Distraction happens.
Speaking of seasons, what about those changing fortunes of time? We need only watch our beloved baseball team for a few innings to know that time brings changing fortunes. Acknowledging that truth seems to further highlight the value of the constants in life.
It might seem frivolous to think that, in the face of some unsettling event (a.k.a. distraction), we should step back from trying to solve it and focus on our own humble careers. Simple though it seems, there is benefit in noticing what is rather than what is not.
Putting action to that thought, we begin a list of our “real possessions”.
Our humble career. People we love. Gifts we have to share and the ways we get to share them.
Sunshine through the trees. A moonrise at dusk. A cool drink served with a warm hug.
Our service. Our breath. Our life.
