I was raised with the ‘work hard’ ethic.  Hard work was admired and rewarded.  It was all that was needed to be successful.  Working hard left you feeling good about yourself.  To an extent, much of this still rings true for me and I’m not afraid to work hard when it is needed.

But I don’t think it is the only way.

In later life, the phrase, “work smarter, not harder” came into use.  Prioritize projects and tasks, delegate, combine, organize, urgent versus important.  All valuable!  All designed to carve out more time for leisure, or for more work if you are a workaholic!

Still, something was missing for me.

Am I really supposed to work, work and die?  Is playtime earned only by hard – or smart – work?  Can anything of value be accomplished by playing?  Would I become just as disillusioned by playing all the time?

What am I searching for on a truly deep level?

I think I want to simply live.  I want to experience life.  I want to give to life.  I want to live an inspired life.  I want to live consciously.  For me, that means being connected to and guided by Consciousness itself, the creative source of all that is.  As I live consciously, all I do is infused with aliveness.

I have lived this way sporadically; I am ready to live this way all the time.  When I do, life flows.  Tasks are accomplished almost effortlessly.  Less of making things happen, more of allowing things to happen, to fall into place more perfectly than I could have planned.  I am present to, and follow, the ebb and flow of my energy.  I am guided from within, from that connected place.  I quiet my mind, hold the space for creation; I rest and dream.  I learn when to be and when to do.  I am at peace.

Can it be this simple?  Joyful, fun, light, living in the moment.  Inspirations come, I take action, work and play blend, collaboration and cooperation happen, ideas manifest into material form.  The Universe is moving, and I am part of the journey.