Productivity culture is insidious. It makes an appearance when I’m busy just for its own sake. Or when I took a sick day earlier this month, I felt guilty about it.
Moreover, when I measure a day’s my worth by how much I got done that day, I am not embracing open-hearted living. That’s surviving. No more.
“Earning” my keep isn’t determined by what I have and have not done that day. It’s no surprise that the root of “earn” comes from Old English’s “earnian”. This word means to deserve.
Merit-based living is harmful.
I don’t deserve anything more than the next guy. And yet, this attitude coexists with believing in and respecting the dignity of every being. True peace and happiness come from this indisputable fact; all are equal and worthy of grace, joy, and happiness.
This whole year’s been about open-hearted living. And that includes extending my grace and courtesy to and for myself.
So, when I take the sick day, I rest easy. It’s graceful to my fellow humans and to myself.
It’s time to be earnest (etymology: serious) about embracing life’s challenges.