Cities like New York and San Francisco produce high profit, high levels of manufacturing (mostly data and number driven), and high levels of anxiety. Where is the limit? At what point do we need to revise our intentions?
I have found that productivity culture exhausts the mind, body, and spirit when there is no purpose or intention attached to the work or service that you are involved with.
I have done a lot of thinking regarding how we can transform ambitious energy into something positive, at both the individual and collective levels. Productive forces within us can be really good if paired with discrimination and the freedom of conscious decision making.
A laborer can be told that he or she is working for the common good or the propagation of global progress, but he or she may be fooled into thinking this is the cause. The product can be just the opposite and feed into models of corruption, injustice, and hierarchy.
The pain of this realization forced me to reconsider why I do the things that I do, how they make me feel, and how I wish to contribute my energy to the planet.
I believe that balance lies in maintaining an equal distribution of weight between conscious decision making (purpose) and energetic, mental, and physical contribution.
In other words, purpose reinforced by belief equals balance. There is too much action in the world and not enough purpose. Our day to day lives have become passive and have begun to lack passion.
I believe a path of surrender and devotion can be beautiful, but it needs to be chosen under terms of complete understanding regarding the final goal for an individual. I believe a path of individual empowerment can also be beautiful, if that empowerment does not derive from ego or a need to please. There must be a concrete understanding that the human is limited and can only do so much, which prioritizes the need for conscious decision making when it comes to career, relationships, and belief systems.
Productivity is a complex topic, because there are some people who work really hard out of the goodness of their hearts. And there are people who are productive for the sake of revenge or proving something to the world.
Ultimately, it is up to you to decide where you stand, to determine what your heart feels and what your mind thinks, to observe where your current intention is, and where your lifestyle is taking you. Only you can make the choices that pertain to your body and mind.
LS
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