Getting Pono for Monday

"The greatest analgesic, soporific, stimulant, narcotic, and to some extent even antibiotic -- in short, the closest thing to a genuine panacea -- known to medical science is work"

- Thoma Szasz

Here we go again: Monday morning is hunting us. I worked all weekend and feel the temptation to call in, feign an affliction, and hide all day in the darkest and quietest corner of my apartment.

Instead, I'm going to bust out some clumsy business metaphors. First, I will do some research on this challenge brewing inside of me, sucking away my profit margin. Then, I'm going to invest my Sunday night on a new strategy, a blog post, which seeks to strategically position me. Finally, I'm going to plan for an ROI (return on investment) projected to enhance my market positioning tomorrow morning.

The fact is that, despite my lack of aplomb this Sunday evening, I love my work. My spirit, that energy which we identify with the gut, is fed by the thousand unconscious decisions I am asked to make each day which speak to my desire to see our university's community become brighter and tighter. My heart is fed when I look into my student's eyes and see new ideas emerging from the depths of their minds and hearts. My mind is nourished as I chew on the thousand nuanced challenges that come with successfully managing an academic program for a university. This work is deeply fulfilling, stimulating, and inspiring.

Despite my exhaustion on this Sunday evening, what need have I for any drug, any dulling of the senses?

No way; I want to be sharp. Dr. Szasz is correct. If we find our life deeply involved in something which truly challenges us at a profound level, then we each find ways to celebrate this involvement by continually finding new ideas to bring to the table, by clearly identifying new opportunities to stretch our vision, and by deeply appreciating those teammates and leaders around us who also exhibit that same spark.

So, please, friends: Take a second out this Monday morning to try to recognize the wild reality of your life, the interesting projects you have the opportunity to face today, and the colleagues with whom you stand alongside each day. Shake hands with them; tell them that their effort is appreciated. Your recognition of their effort, if truthful and resonant, will begin to transform you and each of them.

Students: Thank you for all that you do to teach me interesting wisdom which I hope will reverberate through my life.

Colleagues: Thank you for helping our community to become successful. We are spiraling upward despite all of the challenges which exist in our worlds. Your success inspires me during every moment of my waking existence.

Mentors: Thank you for believing in me. You've all challenged me to look carefully as to where I walk. Every step I take says something about the confidence which you've allowed for me to discover inside.

As Dr. Szasz indicated in his quote, work, especially when coupled with the right attitude, melts away the weariness of our world.

I offer you this playful quote to cheer you on your way as you get started on another Monday morning. Have a great day, everyone...