Not Enough Labor

Lately I have felt - or perhaps better explained, I have allowed myself to feel - that I am not "doing" enough.

I'm not spending enough one-on-one time with my kids.
I'm not spending enough time with Tom.
I'm not exercising enough.
I'm not eating healthily enough.
I'm not traveling enough.
I'm not sleeping enough.

And, the three that prompted today's post:

I'm not working enough.
I'm not making enough money.
I'm not saving enough for retirement, for college, for weddings.

I understand that I have control over how I react to what others say and do, and that no one can make me feel badly about myself without my consent. Feeling better falls to me, and me alone. Which is why I am today - in honor of Labor Day and encouraged by a Martin Luther King Jr. quote - reclaiming the work I do and my commitment to do it well.

No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. 

Labor Day honors the creation of and workers' contributions to the American labor movement. (And of course also marks the unofficial end of summer - now if only Mother Nature would read that memo.) But this year I plan to celebrate Labor Day as a reminder that as long as the work I take on - or anyone takes on - serves to improve, inspire, or uplift, it is enough.